To Do The Impossible, There is a Price
by rhynith
Summary: The Elrics have made a discovery of what they think is the key to getting their bodies back. However, Allen and the rest of the Black Order are certain that Akuma have started to take over Central and form an alliance with the Homunculus.
1. Discover

Chapter One - Discover

There was no way that this was going to work. The fall alone was about 50 feet tall, and then we had to jump down to get a good start. That made it 52 at least. This was not going to work.

"You ready, Al?" I turned to my brother, my blonde braid flipping over my shoulder. He nodded, as much as he could in his metallic suit. I backed away from the edge of the building, eyeing the door one last time. On the inside, our attackers still pounded against the door furiously. I gave a signal to Al, running towards the edge of the building right as they all burst through.

The last thing that they saw was the edge of my red coat vanishing over the edge of the building.

As the world seemed to rush closer, I prepared myself for the landing I knew was going to hurt at least my flesh leg. As the impact became closer and closer, I was suddenly aware that Al had propelled himself in front of me. He was going to be the first to land, no doubt planning on catching me. As he came to a stop, he outstretched his metal arms just in time to catch me as I fell. I landed with a grunt in his arms, startled when I was on my feet in the next instant. I could hear gunshots ringing out in the sky. Metallic _clinks_ and _clangs _rang out as the bullets bounced off of Al. He was running behind me as I ran ahead, casting a grateful look over my shoulder towards my younger brother. He seemed to smile, understanding the thanks in my eyes.

We ran as fast as our legs could carry us, eventually getting out of gun range. A few of them had been smart enough – or dumb enough – to follow us, but that had only led to their defeat. We were now running down an alley we knew well, one that led back to Central. If my train of thought was correct, they were still following us. We needed to get them to Headquarters, so provoking them and taunting them was our plan. Well, it was my plan – Al hadn't agreed to it completely.

As Al yanked me behind him, I heard some more gunshots sound out. Good, they had followed us. I slapped my hands together, crouching by Al's knees as I shot rock towards our attacker. On the sidelines, horrified expressions and gasps were what identified citizens. They all backed away, watching in horror as a battle unfolded in front of them. I got out from behind Al, looking to our attackers and seeing that there was more than one. They had all managed to catch up to us, their guns all pointed towards me.

"Back down, Fullmetal. Hand over what you took and no one has to get hurt," A voice called from the middle of the group. Out walked a man clad in black, his white hair falling to his waist. I sighed, locking eyes with him as he continued to walk to the front of the group.

"No way in hell is that happening. Sorry," I retorted with a roll of my eyes. Suddenly, a gunshot sounded. I put my auto-mail arm up in front of my face just in time as in the next instant a bullet collided with it. I stumbled back from the shocking impact, my eyes darting to the man who had shot at me. He looked horrified that he had even done it, but his leader looked absolutely thrilled. The leader of the group rolled up the sleeves of his tight leather jacket, exposing pale white forearms. His hands were outstretched, now pointing towards the both of us to reveal transmutation circles.

The next instant was chaos. I shouted out for the people to run, Al rushing up to the man and engaging in combat. Gunshots were everywhere, my arm permanently deflecting as many as I could. A few of them missed their mark and ended up hitting my leg, but lucky for me, that was also metal. As I ran up to the leader and started to transmute alongside Al; that was when he acted.

He shouted out to his followers, watching as they scattered. He then winked to us, his white hair shading his perfect face in a sinister manner. He placed his hands to the ground, activating whatever transmutation he had. The ground started to rumble as Al and I quickly tried to get out of the way. In the next instant that we blinked, I was thrown off the edge towards on of the railed fountains that scattered Central. Al made a crashing sound as he impacted into a near building. I fell underwater, hearing the muffled cries of Al as he continued to fight the leader. I quickly swam towards the surface, jumping out of the water almost as fast as I had been propelled into it.

"Fullmetal, Alphonse, duck!" A voice shouted out. Not thinking twice, both of us did as we were told as flames shot above our heads. The leader let out a terrifying scream as the flames made contact with his flesh, burning him into submission within seconds. I got to my feet, eyeing Al as he did so as well.

"You okay, Al?" I asked, taking off my jacket in a feeble attempt to dry off my auto-mail. If it got wet and stayed that way for too long, who knew what was going to happen next. For all I knew, a wrench could be being thrown at my head for being so reckless; and that was something I preferred to avoid.

"I'm fine. What about you?" Al took a step closer to me as I shrugged off his concern. I watched as Mustang neared, taking one look to the burnt leader before he summoned Hawkeye to come and take care of the man. She did it without hesitation, placing handcuffs on his wrists as they wheeled him away on a gurney. Mustang made his way to us, watching as I continued to try and save my arm.

"Not waterproof, huh?" He joked as I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue.

"I could say the same about you," I retorted as I flicked a few droplets of water from my hair onto him. Al laughed beside me as Mustang gave us both a cross look. I ignored him as I sat down on a nearby ledge, probably to the fountain, and began to try and dry my leg as well. Al sat beside me, keeping up a conversation with Mustang while I tuned both of them out.

As I rolled up my pants, my hand casually grazed my pocket, reminding me what I had. What Al and I had finally succeeded in finding after all of this time. Mind you, it was nothing major, and it was definitely no better a lead than the Homunculus, but we had found it. We had gotten our hands on something that had been rumored about for thousands of years and was said to have limitless powers. Of course, there were also the stories that said it only accepted certain people for its host, but Al and I could get around that if it meant we got our bodies back.

"Fullmetal, are you even listening to us?" Mustang piped up, slapping me on the back of the head. I grumbled, glaring harshly up to him.

"What was that for?" I shouted as I stood. Al grabbed my arm and dragged me back down before I could be burnt to a cinder, in his words. I glared to both of them, my glare then finally settling on Mustang.

"So, let's see it then. What did you go through all that trouble to get your hands on?" The Colonel stuck out his hand, expecting me to hand it over. I rolled my eyes, sliding my arms back into my jacket as I stood and looked to him nonchalantly.

"It was useless. We went in there for nothing. They didn't have it," I walked away before he could catch the lie that was written in my eye. Al followed, catching up to me before he whispered in my ear,

"Why didn't you tell him?" Al and I rounded a corner, returning to the normal streets of Central.

"Because, he would have taken it," I replied, eyeing Al with more meaning than what was in my sentence. Al nodded, straightening back up as we started small talk on our walk to the train station.

We had to find someone who knew what "Innocence" was to tell us how to work it.


	2. The Exorcists

_**Author's Note: This is the note that I forgot to add to the last chapter, basically explaining stuff that I couldn't in the summary. This is going to have some couplings in it, such as Allen and Kanda, Lavi and Leenalee, Miranda and Krory, and Winry and Ed, as well as Mei and Al. Those are just my favorites, but in the end, I may add someone for Komui to have as well. Anyway, I hope you are enjoying this so far!**_

Chapter Two – The Exorcists

"Ugh, BaKanda, get back here!" I shouted above the roar of the crowd as we wandered helplessly through the city. Kanda was convinced that he knew where we were, and that he could get us out. Lavi had long since ditched us, claiming that he could find a map or two to help. I had followed Kanda, simple in hopes of not getting lost.

Not that that did any good at all. Kanda had been wandering for hours, still saying that he knew the way to the military headquarters. We were supposed to have reported by now, but Kanda had gotten us lost and there was no telling where Lavi had disappeared to.

"Moyashi, I am perfectly capable of—" Kanda was cut off as an explosion silenced us both. We looked over to our right, seeing a giant suit of armor come crashing around the side along with a small boy in a red coat. Behind them was a whole gang of armed men, shouting at them to give back what they had stolen.

As the boy came to a halt right in front of us, the armor did so as well. The leader started to shout commands towards his followers, watching as they scattered. In the next instant, the boy was being shielded by the armor as bullets started to hit them. The boy reacted, but seemingly too late. The man had already slapped his hands to the ground and thrown the boy into the water and the armor into a building.

Kanda and I had decided to let this one go, certain that this was an Alchemist battle and not an Akuma one that we had to worry about. At least not until proven otherwise. We had managed to hide behind a corner of a building, still able to watch the fight, but not in the line of fire. I glanced across the way and saw Lavi had reacted as well, landing on the roof of a nearby house as he watched along with us. I hissed a warning into our Golem, getting a hasty response from him. Kanda was simply watching, no doubt analyzing every move of the fight.

The next thing any of us knew, the armor was thrown our way, causing us to dodge before we were caught in the rubble from the crumbling building. He regained his sense, standing up to continue the fight as we all look to the water. The boy was propelled that way, the armor calling out to him as the boy splashed into the water. The leader of the gang had managed to regain his sense as well, going into combat once again with the armor. The boy jumped out, rushing into the fight right as another voice sounded from a distance.

"Fullmetal, Alphonse, duck!" And they did. They both did it without hesitation as flames flew above their heads and hit their mark head on. I traced the source of the flames back to a man clad in blue, a white glove with some insignia contrasting from his obvious military-issue suit. A scream sounded out as the leader fell unconscious.

"You okay, Al?" The boy could be heard as he bent over the armor, looking to it with concern. The armor nodded, the boy then sitting on a ledge of a nearby fountain. He took off the red coat, exposing to the three of us a metallic arm. Before any of us could think twice about the pain and history that might have meant he had, I remembered.

"He's the Fullmetal Alchemist, isn't he?" I asked over my shoulder, speaking both to Kanda and the Golem. I hear Lavi give a distant 'yes', but Kanda said nothing on the matter. "So then, that means that the armor is his younger brother…" I trailed off, watching as he continued to roll up his pants and expose his metal leg. The military man made some remark about not being waterproof, to which the boy simply flicked a few drops of water on him. That got him a cross look, one that had him ignoring the armor and military man soon enough afterwards.

"Fullmetal, are you even listening to us?" The military man leaned over the boy, smacking him harshly on the head. His armored brother stifled a chuckle as the alchemist stood with a glare to the man. The armor was at the boy's side in the next instant, watching as the boy prepared to make his remark.

"What was that for?" he shouted, still looking crossly to the military man.

"So, let's see it then. What did you go through all that trouble to get your hands on?" The man stuck out his hand as if expecting the boy to drop his prize in his palm without another thought. The boy slid his coat back on with a roll of his eyes, looking to his brother as if to signal something.

"It was useless. We went in there for nothing. They didn't have it," The boy spoke dryly as he walked off down the street. The armor followed him, leaning down to whisper something in his ear. As the two siblings continued down the alley, I sent Lavi to look after the, walking up to the military man with Kanda.

"Excuse me, are you someone from the military?' I called, waving as he turned to us. He smiled kindly, standing straighter than he had been a few seconds ago.

"Colonel Mustang. What can I-" He paused as he saw our uniforms, realization sliding over his face, "Ah, you're from the Black order, are you not? I was told that there would be three of you…" He trailed off, looking beyond us as if to spot someone sneaking up on us.

"Ah, yes, there is one more, but he is out… somewhere," I offered with a shaky smile, "Anyway, I'm Allen Walker, and this is Kanda," I offered my hand, satisfied when he didn't hesitate to take it. Kanda rolled his eyes when the Colonel offered his hand, "Che"-ing as he crossed his arms over his chest. I rolled my eyes, looking back to the Colonel to see any sign of offended behavior, but he offered none, for which I was grateful.

"If you would like, I can take you to Headquarters. I was told you would have been there a while ago, so I'm sorry if this sounds weird, but what took you so long?" Mustang turned his back to us, beckoning with his hand to walk and talk. I started off, practically having to drag Kanda behind as he mumbled something about being able to find his own way.

"We got lost because _this_ one here," I cast a nasty glare over my shoulder towards Kanda, "Refused to ask for directions." I could hear the Colonel snicker, stifling laughter as he let us into his car. Another military worker joined us, looking to us once with her sharp brown eyes and deciding not to ask.

"Hawkeye, this is Allen Walker and Kanda, two Exorcists from the Black Order," The woman, Hawkeye, nodded before she turned in her seat and started to load up her guns. I flinched, but somehow I got the feeling that Kanda was more intrigued with her that way. I sighed, deciding it would be best for me to look out the window so at least _I _ could keep track of where we were.


	3. Secret Parties, Hmm?

Chapter Three – Secret Parties.

There was someone following us. There had been for a while, and now both Al and I knew it. We kept walking, but we decided not to lead him or her towards the train station. We started to circle, my original plan to make sure that he or she knew that we knew. This was a game to me, but I knew that Al would start to get ticked off if I played for too long.

We were now in an alley, someplace just beyond the road that led to the station. Al was behind me, shadowing me in the dark to I could pull a surprise attack.

"Now," I hissed under my breath as I caught sight of our follower's shadow. I crouched by Al's knees, sending out some rock to knock the follower from the roof. He fell with a grunt, landing behind Al as I placed my foot on the man's chest.

He was… odd. He had red hair with a scarf around his neck and an eye patch over his right eye. But that wasn't the weirdest part. He wore some sort of gothic looking uniform with a cross over his left shoulder…

"Who are you and why have you been following us?" I growled down to him with a shove of my foot. He just smiled, a ridiculous smile taking over his face.

"Hi there! I'm Lavi! Nice to meet'cha!" He smiled even wider when I glared to him with uncertainty.

"That didn't answer my other question," I growled, Al stepping to my side as an intimidation factor. The man just laughed, locking eyes with me once again.

"I'm here to protect you and make sure that you don't leave with that Innocence that's in your pocket," With that, his legs swung up behind me, knocking me to the ground. He was on my back in the next second, grabbing my auto-mail arm and yanking it behind my back. The only thought that had been going through my head at that moment was the fact that he knew. _He knew what we had._

"Gah!" I shouted, then trying desperately to break free from his hold. Al was stuck into silence before he reacted, kicking at the man and successfully getting him off of me.

"Look, I just want you to go back to Central and tell the Mustang guy that you will stay here until one of us gets assigned to you. You're way too important to just be allowed to wander off," He explained as he went into a defensive position in front of Al. I got to my feet, locking eyes with the man as I transmuted my arm.

"How do you know about this Innocence stuff? And what makes you think I have any?" I walked to Al's side as Al took an intimidating step forward.

"Well, for starters, I can sense it. I'm what you call and Exorcist, someone who can sense Innocence and defeat the Akuma. Which, I'm assuming, you know have started to come here? But, did you also know that…" He trailed off, grabbing a small hammer about the size of his palm from a strap on his thigh, "within the next second I could crush your brother here and tow you back to Central myself?' His eye took on an evil demeanor; one that I knew meant he was not joking. I lowered my arms, as did Al. We both stared at the object before we bust up into laughter. I doubled over, grabbing my sides as I laughed. Al did the same, paying no mind to the threat that was just given to him.

Lavi joined in, but as he did so, he extended his hammer. He swept both of us onto it and shouted for them to grab on. Next thing we knew, we were flying above Central on a giant hammer. Our laughter had died out, now our screams of shock filling the air as we landed in the courtyard. In front of us stood a white haired man and a man that looked like a girl. Al and I landed with a _thud_ on our butts as the other man landed gracefully and walked up to the two with a goofy smile on his face. Al let out a startled gasp as his head rolled away on the grass.

"Yuu!" He shouted, earning the scariest look I had ever seen on a human before from the long-haired man. I stood up, giving Al his head back before they could notice anything. Colonel Mustang came out of the door in the next instant, looking to the three newcomers with question.

"What was that giant…Hammer?" He took one look to Lavi with the hammer at his side and decided not to ask. Lavi blew him off as he ducked from the man with the sword as he swung it above the redhead's head.

"I told you not to call me that!" The man shouted as Lavi cowered from his sword. The white haired man turned around, showing off his unexpectedly young face.

"Ah, Fullmetal. Al, meet the exorcists," Mustang gestured as he blew off the bit about the hammer. I nodded standing by Al and not moving an inch.

"I'm Allen. The grump over there is Kanda, and the hyper one is Lavi," As the white haired boy identified them, I looked at them all like they were insane.

The boy Known as Allen could not be more than 16. His shaggy hair and black jacket only accented the scar over his left eye and his unnaturally white hair even more. His slight build did not give a lot of clues to how strong he really was. Obviously, that left the idea that he was very deceiving.

The long haired man, Kanda, was obviously of a different race. Maybe from Xing like Lin Yao? His hair fell, in a ponytail mind you, to just about his shoulders. His hard, cold eyes flitted everywhere as he observed every small thing. His already apparent nasty nature had me on edge immediately.

Then there was Lavi. What else was there to be said? He was hyper and sincerely carefree.

"Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist," I stuck out my hand towards Allen, watching as he came to take it. Kanda's eyes flitted to him, watching the boy carefully.

"Alphonse Elric, his younger brother. People mostly call me Al," Al beamed as Allen took his hand, shaking it with vigor.

"This might be a personal question, but do you ever take your armor off?" Allen stepped away from Al as he looked at him, polite attitude written all over him as he asked the question. Al and I both tense nonetheless, looking to Mustang to see that he had tensed as well.

"Um, Alchemy training. Long story," I rambled, running a hand through my loose bangs. They all watched me with curiosity, Al and Mustang nodding along to my story.

"Hmm, interesting," Allen hummed. He glanced to Mustang, then starting to ask something. Just as he prepared to speak, he slapped a hand over his eye and whirled to his friends.

"Got it," Kanda growled. He grabbed Allen by the wrist, vanishing within the second and leaving only Lavi behind.

"Hmm, seems they like to have private parties," Lavi joked with a shrug of his shoulders.

We all stared at him in silence.


	4. Just a Small Something

Chapter Four – Just a Small Something

"Moyashi, you're sure that your eye didn't, ya know, _accidentally _activate?" Kanda hissed as we jumped from roof to roof. I glared to him, my gaze sweeping behind him as well.

"Positive. It never has before," I growled, angry of being accused of making a false alarm.

Maybe Lavi was having better luck back at Central…

* * *

><p>I ducked from another bullet, slapping my hands to the ground as I did. I supported myself on my hands, flipping over backwards as if in a hand-stand before it shot again.<p>

"What the hell are these things?" Mustang shouted as he shot uselessly at them with his flames. Lavi was dodging one, right before he slammed it to the ground with his hammer. He stood, looking to the sky to survey how many more there were before he spoke.

"They're Akuma. I thought I told you three not to fight!" Lavi scolded as he jumped off of Al, who had been fighting much the same style as me. Lavi managed to get three down in the next blow that he made. We all glared to him. Like we could stand still during all of this.

"Damn it Moyashi, what the hell were you doing?" Kanda could be seen crashing into an Akuma as Allen jumped to the ground.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry, jeesh," Allen jumped to one, his arm changing as he did so. His arm changed to a large black, almost-clawed on. His jacket transformed to a white cloak, a clown mask holding it together at his neck somehow. He had become a completely different person, unlike the other two.

Suddenly, there was an arm around my neck as the last one was destroyed. At the same instant that I realized it, everyone shouted out my name.

"Edward!"

"Fullmetal!"

"Brother!"

"Ha, seems you're quite loved," The arm pulled me closer to its body. The grip tightened on my neck, forcing me to think that this might not have happened had I been on guard. If I hadn't been so absorbed in thinking about the three weirdoes who had suddenly appeared in my life—

"Tykki, let him go!" Allen started to walk forward, the man behind me tightening his grasp just enough to make me start clawing at his arm. Allen stopped as he saw my reaction.

"Hmm, I will. I have a message for the siblings first," breath tickled my ear as he placed his head on my shoulder; "Father says he's watching his special guests. His children are eager to play," My eyes flew open, shock and anger filling me. I could see that Al had stilled completely, searching me for my reaction. Mustang had as well, his eyes connecting with mine in a frantic attempt to communicate.

"How do you know him…Them…?" Mustang demanded, raising his hand as he prepared to fire.

"Hmm, he adopted some new members to the family," With that, the arm was gone from around my neck. I fell to me knees, gasping for breath. Mustang shot over my head then, shocked when the man jumped over his flames.

"Tata for now," The man said, tipping his hat as he vanished.

I got to my feet, running to Al's side. He bent down, harshly whispering to me.

"How does he know?"

"I don't know, do you think _they're _working with him?"

"Could he be another Homunculus?" Al stopped talking as Allen and Lavi approached.

"You two know something, don't you?" Allen asked. Al and I straightened, looking to Allen with scrutiny. Could we trust him? Could we tell them what we had only entrusted to a few of our closest? Could they even begin to understand a world in which they had only just entered?

I shook my head robotically. "No, we don't," I grabbed Al by the writs, turning away and starting to walk inside. Before we could move much further and a foot, Kanda was blocking our path.

"I don't believe you," He hissed, sharp eyes scanning us.

"Fine, say that we do, what makes you three so trustworthy?" I piped up; silencing Al from his comment that I was sure was going to be "Brother that was rude".

"The Fuhrer sent for us," Allen chirped up from behind. I tensed, my face going cross. All took me by the shoulder, walking around Kanda was we ran inside.

* * *

><p>Mustang neared the group, eyeing them all carefully.<p>

"You were sent here by the Fuhrer?" He asked, venom in his words. All eyes widened as they watched him.

"Yes, but isn't that a good thing?" Lavi asked. Mustang stopped for a moment, his hands clenched in fists at his sides.

"Not, it is anything but. Get out, you don't belong here if you are one of his," Mustang hissed, walking away towards the doors. As he did, Hawkeye rushed to greet him.

"What was-"

"Don't ask," Mustang shrugged, motioning for her to follow him inside. She followed, casting one more look towards the exorcists.

"Mustang, sir, I don't think you should be so cold towards them," She whispered. He shrugged, focusing still on the hallway ahead of him.

"They work for him. Say that I am right, now they go tattle on me for being a horrible subordinate. If I am wrong, then they leave me alone and make nothing of the matter and move onto whatever those creatures were that they were sent here to destroy," He rounded the corner, seeing that Ed and Al had taken refuge in his office.

"All, we don't know that," Ed snapped.

"It should be pretty evident. If they didn't like that Tykki character, then there is something going on with the. Maybe they're the good guys and Tykki is someone that they hate as well," Al tried to reason with his brother, but looked to be getting no where.

"They could be acting," Ed retorted.

"They _could_ be anything they want to be," Mustang piped up, walking into his office as both sets of eyes followed him to his desk. "I set something up, give it time and we can go from there," He continued to talk even as he turned his back to the siblings.

"What'd you do?" Al asked, his gaze landing next on Hawkeye.

"Oh, just a small something," Suddenly, both siblings felt sympathetic towards the exorcists.

_**Author's Note: Two things. One, in this chapter, I feel like I horribly butchered the characters. For some odd reason, no one seems to be themselves. So, for that I seriously just hurt myself as well as any reader's that actually care.**_

_**Second, I have no idea where I am going with this, so the whole Noah and Homunculous thing is probably going to take over as the main plot, simply because it is the only one that I have set up so far. I mean, I could do tons of other stuff, and most likely I will, but for now, I am just as clueless as you are. XD**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!**_


	5. Do a Little Talking

Chapter Five -

"What was that about?" I moved across the courtyard towards some of the rubble that now scattered it. Kanda was doing the same, moving towards the opposite end. Lavi stood in the middle, watching either of us as he leaned idly on his hammer. I couldn't help but laugh at his carefree demeanor when he acted like someone else. Of course, he was naturally pretty carefree, but dig deep enough, and you got to the true bookman within him. There was no hiding his naturally inquisitive nature no matter how hard he tried.

"Maybe they don't like their leader? Any nation can rebel," Lavi suggested with a spin of his hammer as he jammed it back into its strap on his thigh. I heard Kanda "Che" across the courtyard, no doubt glaring towards Lavi. I dug through the rubble, though for what, I had no idea. We always seemed to do this, and yet we never found anything. For me, it was like I was searching for a part of the soul that could have possibly made it out alive, though I knew that that could never happen. The chances of something living through an experience like that were not even remote, or even something to dwell on. Yet, I did it anyway.

"Yeah, but you saw those siblings right? They aren't exactly normal, so that leads to this country with its freakish Alchemy runts and horrible leaders not exactly being normal either," Kanda looked up to the building suddenly, as if he heard his name being called. For a second, I swear I heard someone yell about being called short. Kanda looked to the white building as if he were listening for something, causing both Lavi and I to walk to his side.

"This place isn't normal. There's something…_under_ here…" He trailed off, looking to the ground in thought. Lavi and I looked as well, exchanging a single mutual thought of "_He really went insane this time."_

"Kanda, are you sure that some fumes didn't, ya know, go to your head while you and Allen were out getting lost?" Lavi asked, patting the man on the shoulder only to receive a nasty glare. Kanda shook his head, not wording a response and instead continuing to stare at the ground. Lavi and I both walked away, deciding to leave him to his disturbed thoughts. I went back just enough to take in the giant white building that enclosed us, watching as Lavi did the same.

"What do you think the Elrics are hiding?" Lavi asked randomly after a few moments of silence. I shrugged, and image of Edward flashing across my mind. Even from what I had gathered by the two times I spoke to him, he was very determined. He was a boy who knew how to get what he wanted and would stop at nothing until he did. There was no way he was going to give up the Innocence he had acquired, and there was no way something was stopping him from whatever his mission was.

"Did you get the whole story of them out of Mustang?" I asked. I looked to the red head with curiosity, knowing that his inquisitive nature had probably led to some more being said to him than to either me or Kanda. That was always the case, whether we were back at the Order or out in the open on a mission.

"Yeah, he mentioned something about Taboo, but he never gave me more than that. He did tell me for a fact that Ed's arm and leg are metal, something called auto-mail. His brother, Al, though is something else. The story about being in Alchemy training is definitely a cover story," Lavi looked to the sky as he spoke, his words traveling towards Kanda as well. The man snapped out of his revere, locking eyes with us as he joined in on listening to the conversation. I tilted my head up as well, looking to the clear blue sky as fluffy white clouds bounced across it. There was nothing that screamed "dangerous" about this country, but that was just in the sky.

"Well, we don't exactly have permission to go near them now. They apparently don't like the fact that we were sent here by the Fuhrer very much," Kanda chimed in, then returning to stare at the ground. Something was obviously intriguing to the Japanese man. Maybe it was a samurai thing, but if he kept things up, I would have to call Komui on accounts of someone going insane while on a mission.

"Yeah, what was up with that? I thought that people in the military were supposed to respect their leaders?" I said this, my eyes leaving the sky as I watched both Kanda and Lavi at the same time. They both nodded, Kanda's a little distant at best.

"Well, Fuhrer Kingston can't be that bad, can he?" Lavi asked, catching someone off guard as they walked by. They stopped, their blue uniform looking very distinct against the blue background of the sky. He eyes us, his glasses glinting in the light.

"I'm sorry, but did you say Kingston?" He chimed up, walking closer to our scattered group. Lavi and I nodded, at least trying to be civil towards the brave soul who approached us. He smiled wider, humor taking him over as he stifled some laughter. I had a feeling it was towards us, as opposed to with us. "He's been dead for a hundred years. Fuhrer Bradley is the one now," The man smiled, laughing as he started to walk away. With one glance towards each other, we all sprinted after him.

"Hey, what's your name?" Lavi chirped with a flamboyant wave to stop him again. He stopped in his tracks, waiting for all three of us to catch up to him.

"Sergeant Fury, at your service. I was just getting ready to go back inside, if you would like for me to introduce you to my superior? I'm sure he can help straighten some things out with you and help you… do whatever it is you need to do," Fury tipped his glasses, sliding them back up his nose as he smiled to all of us. I nodded eagerly, introducing myself as Lavi and Kanda followed. As soon as we were all acquainted with each other, he started back inside. We were walking among hallways decorated in blue and green, personnel everywhere as they went about their normal business. A few stopped to stare at us, then scared away by Kanda as he harshly glared to nearly everyone.

"Colonel Mustang, I found some people out in the courtyard who still think Kingston is in power. Isn't that just silly?" Fury cast a joking smile over his shoulder to us as we stopped in our tracks. Mustang was his supervisor? This was the man who this innocent boy worked for? What was this Mustang person really like if he could be so evil and yet have someone as innocent as this under him?

"Really, well, bring them in so that we can set them straight," Mustang called, a muted grumbled from Ed and Al heard as he did so. Hawkeye responded to the two siblings harshly, shutting them up effectively as Fury beckoned the exorcists inside.

"Well, seems that we meant to say that Kingston sent us somehow… Not this Bradley guy," I entered while rubbing the back of my head nervously. Lavi was doing the same, waving with his other hand as a gesture of peace. Kanda was still grumpy, locking eyes with a few people as they stared at his hair.

"Hmm, it's you three, huh?" Ed crossed his arms over his chest as he saw us, looking to us all with a cross look on his face. Al slapped his shoulder once lightly, mumbling something about being rude. That got Ed to growl something back before returning his hatred towards us.

"Wait, so you mean to say that someone who is long dead sent for you?" Mustang stood from his chair, both hands on his desk as he leaned forward eagerly. We all looked to him, then to each other, Kanda the only one who seemed to still be in a trance. He sincerely was a grump that had no emotion.

"Well, yeah. But, we should tell you how we got here first," Lavi offered. I cast him a glare, snapping at him under my breath. No one could know about the Arc, and as it was, only we were allowed to know about it. Only we knew how to use it, and even then I was the only one who could truly operate it. There was no way that these Alchemists could know about something as grand as the Arc without going haywire and wanting to dissect it for science, much like our own group had.

"Lavi, shut up," I hissed, much to my surprise in the same instant that Kanda had. We both locked eyes with each other shocked that we had actually said something at the same time without bursting into one of our arguments. The look on his face suggested that he did not want to start one right now either, simple shock all I could read. I hoped that I was the same, hoping that I had not defaulted to my competitive nature with him.

"What, I think that they should be able to know about the-" I slapped a hand over his mouth, his words getting muffled as I did so. Kanda stepped in front of us as I led Lavi to a corner in the room.

"Sorry, the idiot has an issue with listening to _what he was told to do_," Kanda put emphasis on his words as he glared over his shoulder. Mustang had a smug little grin on his face, as if he enjoyed watching us all bicker. Ed had taken on an expression that suggested he thought we were all insane, as was the likely assumption among this whole room.

"Well then, seems that we have a fair amount to straighten out and talk about," Mustang said, his smile never vanishing. Ed jumped, whirling to face him.

"You can't seriously be thinking about trusting these people, can you? I mean, c'mon! They can barely talk to themselves without shutting each other up with secrets," Ed gestured to us with his arm, Al trying to calm him down. Mustang simply laughed, looking to the alchemist with amusement in his eyes.

"What, afraid a little runt like you wouldn't be able to take us?" Kanda asked. Ed whirled to him, fury in his eyes.

"Who're you calling so small he could ride on the back of a grasshopper!" Ed shouted, Al holding the boy back as he lunged for Kanda.

"Brother, he didn't say anything like that!"

_**Author's note: I like this chapter a lot more, simply because I wrote more. I figured out that if I write in web mode on Word, that I can actually write more because I go all OCD about it. XD**_

_**Anywho, I hoped you liked it. I figured that someone calling Ed short was the perfect way to end a chapter, even if it was a pretty serious one. As for the whole  
>"Kanda staring at the ground" thing, I think most of you can connect the dots and figure out that I made Kanda have some Xing-ese heritage. And as for the name Kingston, I just did that so that I would have a name. It is not actually someone from the anime. Just saying. XD<br>**_


	6. Our Story

_**Author's Note: Plot spoilers for FMA are contained in this chapter, just a warning. **_

Chapter Six – Our Story

Although these people knew about the Innocence, there was no way that I was going to trust them just yet. Maybe I never would, not after that man called me a _**runt.**_ They were mysterious, odd, and not even from this country_**. Maybe they were aliens, sent to us in hopes of acquiring our humanly secrets**_. Pssht, like that wasn't going to get me laughed at by Mustang.

I leaned against the wall as the others began to talk about how they got here and why there were sent. They never said anything more about how they got here, simply shut Lavi up every time he tried to say it. Eventually, Kanda hit him in the back of the head, getting a muffled curse word out of the red head.

"So, wait, you came here by means that you cannot tell us and expect us to believe you? You want us to think that we can trust people who only tell us what they are here for, and nothing about how they got here and know so much about the country? What makes you think that we can even trust people amongst our ranks, let alone three strangers?" Hawkeye was the one to speak, catching even Mustang off guard. She mumbled a reluctant apology, a cross look on her face as she did so.

"Well, we can't tell you everything, but we can tell you about where we came from," Allen offered, elbowing Lavi as he began to speak again. Kanda rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as he began the story.

"We work for the Black Order which is the Order of Exorcists. There are only a few Exorcists and many more Finders. They're people who the Innocence rejected but who still want to help destroy Akuma. The supervisor who told us that Kingston wanted us here is Komui, the freak with the sister issue," Kanda stopped, making sure that everyone was keeping track. Allen took over then, locking eyes with the group.

"The man who held Edward hostage was Tykki Mykk. He is a Noah, our enemy and the ones that control the Akuma. The leader of them is the Millennium Earl, the one who runs everything. Recently, we found out that there is more to their plot than just some little game, and that is why we need you to tell us what his message to you two meant," Allen locked eyes with Al and I. I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest as I stared out the window with annoyance.

"I'm not telling you anything until we can trust you. You haven't proven that we can yet, and that could still be a cover story," I rolled my eyes, glancing to Allen once before I looked back out the window.

"Brother, we can tell them. They just told us about their world, we should tell them about ours," Al mumbled, enough so that they could hear, but just barely. I sighed, looking over to him.

"And what makes you so sure? What makes you think that they won't turn on us?" I looked up to Al, for once missing the expression he would give me when I managed to piss him off.

"I promise that I will not betray you," Allen stood, shocking me into looking at him. He bowed low, respect written all over him. Lavi soon did the same, yanking Kanda up by his hair as the samurai mumbled the words. The whole military group was struck speechless, watching as three strangers bowed in front of them.

"Ed, c'mon," Al whispered to me. I shot one glance towards Mustang, seeing that he seemed to agree with Al. I sighed, walking closer to the three.

"Fine, but you," I walked over to Kanda and pointed a finger in his face as he straightened, "have to take back what you said earlier," I could hear Al and Mustang laugh behind me, watching Kanda's eyes flit to them.

"What, you mean about being a runt?" I grunted, scrunching into my shoulders with anger. I nodded once, waiting for him to do so, "Sorry Kid, I never take back my words," The whole room erupted into laughter as I glared up to the man with a glare that I thought could rival his pretty nicely.

"Ed, just let it go," Mustang said as he snagged me by the shoulders and plopped me down on the couch opposite of the Exorcists'. I sighed, letting Al sit next to me as I scooted over on the cushion. Al looked to me, giving me a nod with a heavy sigh. I sighed as well, leaning forward and placing my elbows on my knees as I wrapped my hands in my hair.

"Four years ago, Al and I lost our mother to an illness. We had been studying Alchemy only for a short while, but I was convinced that I could get her back. We sought out training, getting a master, and before long thinking that we knew the secret behind Human Transmutation. I don't expect you to even have a clue as to what that is, or how big of a sin and curse it is, but we did it. We thought that we could get away with taboo and regain our mother." I stopped there, taking a deep breath as memories came flooding back into my head. I could see that Al was battling the same, his shoulders hunched and the orbs that were his eyes narrowed into slits.

"So did you get your mother back?" Lavi asked his voice almost too eager. Both Al and I cringed as we remembered.

"Do you think that we would be here if we did? Do you think that we would throw ourselves into this god damned mess if we had a choice?" I glared and shouted, but before he could apologize, I started in on the story again. "Our theory failed. _My_ theory failed. We didn't get her back, and in the process of that, I lost my left leg," I rolled up my pant leg to expose the metal limb, "Al lost his whole entire body, so I went back and got his soul at the price of my arm. It's all my fault that you're even like this," I buried my head further into my hands, feeling Al's hands on my shoulders as he tried to comfort me like all the times before this.

"Brother, it was both of our foolish mistakes. You aren't solely responsible for this," Al mumbled, but it appeared to the exorcists that he didn't give much effort into that argument anymore.

"After a while, I came here and decided to be an Alchemist. I take the blame for becoming a dog of the military, all of it is me. You know that Al. This was my entire fault, if I wasn't so upset that _he_ wasn't there…" I trailed off, listening as Al took over the story. I caught a glimpse of our listener's faces and they all seemed to be horror-struck if not completely depressed by our story. Allen and Lavi were the ones who showed concern, Kanda simply staring in awe and disbelief.

"Recently, we figured out that there are things known as Homunculus that are created using a Philosopher's Stone by a man they refer to as Father. They are artificial humans that are immortal and basically indestructible. We have managed to destroy Lust and Envy, thanks to Mustang. Envy killed one of our most trustworthy men... Brigadier General Hughes…" Al trailed off, looking to Mustang in hopes that he had not brought up unpleasant memories. He had, but Mustang managed not to show it too much.

"Our mission now is to get our bodies back. We will stop at nothing, no one, not even death. I won't rest until Al get his body back… There is not a soul who can stop me, not an obstacle that can stand in my way. I will get his body back," I looked up again, my golden eyes burning with determination, hatred, and painful memories.

The room had grown silent, my voice ringing in the air as we told our story. For even those of the military personnel who did not know the whole thing, this had shocked them into silence and wide-eyed observation. Now, I looked to the three Exorcists with burning eyes as I prepared to talk again.

"If you came here because you were sent to stop me, you can leave right now. I won't hesitate to get you out of my way if you show that you intend harm on Al or me. This is our mission; I don't want anyone getting hurt by this. As it is, people have already sort of invited themselves," I glared towards Mustang, but he caught the sarcasm in my voice and gave a small salute that reminded me of Hughes.

The exorcists stared in silence, but out of them I got one collective nod. I stood then, letting my pant leg fall to cover the metal once again. Al stood as well, walking out of the room with me with no complaints. We both knew that we needed to be alone or we would snap. I knew I was close, the memories forming in my head every single time I so much as blinked. We needed to be alone before we could truly trust these people.

_**Author's note: Did anyone else think that I made Ed a little too hard core? And Al a little too hard core as well? For some reason I cannot capture Al's innocence and total charm the right way. I feel bad. XD**_

_**Anyway, I feel like since I did an FMA recap chapter, I think that the next one will sort of be Allen recapping what has happened with him and the whole 14th thing. Also, now that I mention it, I should probably tell you what time this takes place in, in both Anime's. For FMA I am about at the part where Mustang just avenged Hughes and killed Envy. (Plot spoiler for any who have not gotten there yet) and in DGM I am probably at the part where Allen finds out he is the 14th and the Order starts to piece things together. (Out of the Manga, since the Anime never goes that far)**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	7. Our Little Game

Chapter Seven – Our Little Game

The room still rang silent even after the brothers had made their leave. We stared ahead of us, the military personnel looking back. We were stuck speechless at the story just told to us. I knew that at least I had made a personal connection on the level of remembering Mana. Now, it seemed that he was swarming my head. I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew more about their emotions than either Kanda or Lavi did, of course I knew neither on a great level of telling family stories by the campfire. They had their secrets, I had mine.

"Hmm, well, you're welcome to go after them, if you'd like. Although, I doubt you would get very far. That was a feat just getting them to tell you about it, so I wouldn't push it," Mustang moved back to his desk and it was as he spoke that I looked to Lavi and Kanda. We all had a determined look on our face, no doubt one to mask our true emotions. I fixed mine immediately, locking eyes with Mustang as I stood.

"We have to go report to Bradley-"

"No, you don't. You answer to me, not to him. As of now, whatever your supervisor had planned needs to be told to me. I am not letting you get tangled up in the President's mess," Mustang glared as I stood, but I said nothing of his harsh look. Lavi stood as well, walking over to the mans' desk and placing his hands on it.

"You could meet with him if you like. But, I think we need to go talk to him ourselves first," And with that, Lavi turned on his heel as he grabbed both Kanda and I by our elbows and dragged us out of the room. Kanda followed without a sound, a startled gasp the only thing that made it past my lips. My mind was racing with the story that had just been told, deeper meaning to Edward's words than was said.

_**"If you came here because you were sent to stop me, you can leave right now. I won't hesitate to get you out of my way if you show that you intend harm on Al or me. This is our mission; I don't want anyone getting hurt by this. As it is, people have already sort of invited themselves."**_

He took all of this on himself. He took all the blame so that his little brother wouldn't have to feel the pain of knowing disgrace and hurt. He did all of this in the hopes that the pain his brother was already undergoing was all he had to deal with. He did this all, simply so that there was no chance that Al would have to be called "A dog of the military," as he had put it. Ed took it all on himself to make sure that his little brother was okay. It was also evident that he wanted no one's help and that this was a solitary mission.

There was a part of me that understood this. There was a part of me that understood what he wanted, what he meant by wanting no one hurt. It wasn't physical, it was emotional. This was not a concern for their involvement in his mission; this was a concern of what would come at the end of it. Edward was watching out for what was to come at the end of the line when all was said and done.

"Oi, Moyashi, wake up," Kanda slapped a hand in front of my line of sight, waving it in attempts to break my train of thought. I looked to him with a glare for a second, then my eyes flitting behind him to the Arc. It was then that I realized I had probably been silent the whole time we walked all the way across Central and outside of the city towards a nearby place where we "parked" the Arc. I took one look at it and knew why Kanda had been so frustrated with me.

It seemed that during my thought, the Arc had started to respond to my heavy emotions and nearby presence. It was hovering, as if it knew that we were about to use it. I sighed, taking a step ahead of my friends and entering it. The white city that greeted my eyes was almost as pristine and white as it always was, except for the mud that our feet dragged in. That would be erased in a matter of minutes, jus as a cleaning mechanism of the Arc.

"We'll wait out here, Allen," Lavi offered, pulling Kanda to a stop as I was about to enter the control room. I nodded, not saying anything more as I entered the room.

"_Hmm, seems that they have finally caught on,"_ a voice rang in my head, causing me to look to the mirrors that decorated the walls. There, I saw the shadow that always was there but that no one else could see. There, I saw what was my true fear.

"To what?" I asked blandly, sitting at the piano and looking to it with heavy shoulders and sad eyes.

"_To our little game,_" the shadow whispered as it snaked its way to the mirrors in front of the piano. Its hollow eyes and blank facial expressions had me looking to the keys of the instrument in minutes, simply to avoid being sucked into such a bland gaze.

Tim came and revealed the music, letting my hands dance across the piano as my mind got sucked into the trance that was the 14th. I played, letting the harmonious melody fill the room and travel outside to my companions to let them know we were on the move.

_What companions?_

My mind went blank, the only thought the song. There was nothing else, not even Tim as he fluttered above the piano. _Who is Tim? _The music filled my soul, taking me over completely as I continued to feel the smooth keys against my fingertips. There was nothing in this small white room except me and a shadow; one that I knew well.

"What game are we playing this time?" I replied, my voice a whisper as well. The shadow let his white teeth become part of his otherwise completely black being. A maniacal smile took over his lips as he continued to stare at me and watch as I lost myself in playing the song.

"_The best one of all, Allen. This one…"_ He trailed off as I let my mind drift back into the song. The notes filled my ears, the song becoming who I was. This was now a part of me, the music my soul and the Shadow seeming to be me. This was who I was; there was nothing else. _What is an Exorcist? Who am I really?_

Thousands of memories of Mana came flashing into my head. There were tears, smiles, laughter, and depression. There was a time where I would cherish every small hug he gave me, cherished the time that I could spend practicing to be a clown. There was a time when that was all that I ever wanted to feel and all I wanted to do. There was a part of me who still wanted that, to very much still remain human and go back to being a small kid.

There was a stronger part of me that wanted the Earl dead.

_**Author's Note: I think that this was one of the best chapters so far. I really like the way that I wrote this... Did you enjoy? Read and Review please! thanks!**_


	8. Generals?

Chapter Eight – Generals?

Leenalee clutched the tray of coffee cups tighter in her hands as she heard familiar voices around the corner. Everyone was welcoming them back, laughter filling the air along with Kanda's usual grumping and cussing. Allen and Lavi could be heard as they tried to calm the over-emotional Jerry down just enough to let them down out of a bone-crushing hug. Leenalee set the tray down on a nearby table, rushing to greet her friends as well.

"Allen! Lavi! Kanda!" She rounded the corner, waving wildly as their eyes landed on her goofily smiling face. She laughed as Kanda folded his arms across his chest with a huff, Allen and Lavi mimicking her wild wave. They both shouted out hellos, their own smiles taking over their faces. She laughed, rushing up to them and hugging Kanda first, just to get on his nerves. "Nice to see you too, Kanda," She spoke with sarcasm in her voice, getting a roll of the eyes from Kanda. She moved to Allen and Lavi, wrapping an arm around either of their necks and pulling them both into a crushing hug. They laughed, hugging her back with just as much enthusiasm.

"What are you doing back here so early? That mission couldn't have possibly ended so fast," Leenalee pulled away, tucking her short hair behind her ear as she stared at the three men. Lavi glanced to the other two, waiting for one of them to speak. Allen sighed, taking it upon him to tell.

"Well, turns out that the Fuhrer who 'called for us' is dead, has been dead, for about 100 years. This Colonel Mustang says that he wants to meet Komui, so that's what we're here for. We need to bring Komui back and get them to meet," Allen gave her a smile, but Leenalee could tell that he was distant. Something else had happened that they weren't telling her.

"Well, c'mon, Brother is in his office as usual," She grabbed Allen by the hand, grabbing Kanda by his hair and making sure that Lavi followed while grabbing the coffee. Kanda was protesting, having to walk basically sideways to bend to her height and not lose his balance. She just laughed, pulling him down just a bit further and smiling as Allen and Lavi laughed as well.

"Supervisor, I'm telling you, they're back already," Reaver was seen trying to convince Komui that the three exorcists were back already, leaving as soon as the group entered. He walked past them, snagging his coffee cup as he did so. Leenalee walked up to her brother, throwing all three men down on the couch as she handed him his coffee.

"What are you doing back? I thought I said that Kingston would-"

"That's just it," Kanda cut off the obviously confused man, watching as he sat back in his chair and waited for the samurai to finish his sentence, "Kingston is dead and has been for over 100 years. Apparently, the new guy Bradley is not very trustworthy, so we need you to come and talk to this Colonel Mustang and give him control of our mission," Kanda explained all of this with a blank face, ignoring the interjections that the other two tried to make.

"Hmm… Well, let's go!" Komui leaped out of his chair, a goofy smile replacing the confused look he had had seconds ago. He skipped out of the door before any of them cold even register his actions. They all leapt to their feet then, Leenalee following them as they all returned to the Arc.

"Komui, I thought that you-" He just gave a wink to Allen as he entered the Arc, waiting for the others to join him. They all rushed in, Leenalee stopping him before he could do any permanent damage to the vessel. Allen went into his room, returning them to their "parking" spot in Central. They were walking across Central and desperately trying to control their over-exited supervisor in a matter of minutes, hoping that no one would think him insane. Not that they would be wrong…

"Oi, what are you doing with a loon like him?" Edward shouted across the street as he spotted the odd crowd. Al followed his brother as they crossed the street and joined to group.

"Oh, Edward, Alphonse, this is our supervisor…" Lavi began but seemed unsure about how to finish that sentence.

"My brother just had coffee, so naturally he would be a little more odd than normal," Leenalee finished, walking up to the two boys. She stuck out her hand for a handshake as they both looked her over. "My name is Leenalee Lee. That buffoon over there is my brother, Supervisor Komui Lee," She smiled as Ed took her hand, smiling back as he looked to the other man. Al took her hand next, practically doing the same thing.

"Oh, Leenalee! How cold! How could you call your own brother a buffoon!" Komui leapt to the girl, grabbing her and forcing her into an awkward hug as he bawled into her shoulder. She sighed, rolling her eyes before she pushed him off of her and moved him aside to start scolding him. Ed and Al stared at the group like they were even more insane than they had thought before.

"Fullmetal! I thought I told you to stay put!" Mustang shouted over the street to Ed. Ed grumbled, glaring over his shoulder to the man.

"I'm not a child!" Al put a hand on his brothers shoulder, laughing slightly when Ed started to grumble towards the Colonel some more. Mustang crossed the road, walking up to the odd group with a smirk towards Ed.

"Anyone who is as short as you is definitely a child," Mustang chuckled as the boy shouted towards him, ending up having to be held back by Al.

"Call me short one more time and I'll rip your feet off and stick 'em on your head!" Edward shouted before Al turned him away and laughed nervously towards the Exorcists. Komui smiled wider, letting Leenalee go and walking over to greet the man.

"I understand you're the man who wants to take my Exorcists under his wing?" Komui was suddenly serious, no shock to the Exorcists as they stood behind him with arms crossed over their chests. Leenalee was attempting to talk to Ed and Al, but Al suggested against it when his brother was like this.

"Yes, Colonel Mustang. You're their supervisor?" Mustang shook the man's hand, as he looked the odd man over.

"Yes, but I use that title loosely as Allen is a General, and the others are not far behind," Mustang stopped all motion, his face going completely blank. A dark aura started to emit from him, his shoulders hunching as if he had just been defeated in some way. Komui watched at first, then placing a hand on the mans' shoulder in hopes of comfort.

"G-Generals?" Mustang stuttered, getting a nod out of Allen along with a cheesy wave.

_A boy of 16 is a General? How can this be? The world is ending!_

_**Author's note: Ha, someone mentioned Mustang's face when he found out that Allen was a General… So, I had to. XD Hope you enjoyed, Read and Review please! :D**_


	9. We Promise

Chapter Nine – We Promise

"What do you think the story behind the armored guy is?" Leenalee bent closer to Allen as they walked down the streets of Central behind Mustang and Komui. Allen sighed, shrugging his shoulders. If they wanted everyone to know, they would tell people on their own. As it was, Allen was afraid that the siblings who now walked in front of them would hear something if he said anything. Edward was rambling to his brother, Al taking his rant calmly and suggesting advice every once in a while.

"Ya know, I haven't seen Winry in awhile…" Ed suddenly stated that, Al looking to his brother eagerly at the friendly changed of conversation.

"We should go see her. We're at a stand still with our mission anyways, and maybe the Exorcists could tag along and meet her too," Al would have been smiling if he could have, that much Ed could gather from the boys' tone. The way that Al made it still sound as though he was happy had Ed wanting his brother back even more than he had a few seconds ago.

"Tag along to meet who?" Lavi chirped up, his eyes taking on the familiar flirty hint that all the Exorcists knew too well. Allen slapped the rabbit at the same time that Kanda did, both glaring to him hatefully as Leenalee laughed slightly. Lavi winked to her, earning a scolding from Komui who hadn't even bothered to turn around. Lavi glared to the back of the supervisor's head as Ed answered them.

"My girlfriend, Winry," Ed made it very clear in his voice that she was off limits. Colonel Mustang could be heard ahead making some comment about how she could possibly date someone as short as he was, setting off the anger in Ed. He called back that Hawkeye was more badass than Mustang would ever be, making it clear that she was always the one on top. Mustang shut up after that, all the Exorcists subsiding into silence that possibly saved them the confusion of getting involved in anything.

"Hmm, so you want to take this mission over? Why?" Komui turned his head to Mustang, taking up their conversation as the teens behind them settled into random bickering. The two adults went completely serious, one professional to the next as they walked the streets of Central and drew as much attention as one could in a crazy world filled with Alchemists and Akuma.

"Bradley has enough on his plate. He doesn't need to concern himself with this, and you seem to have already confused him with someone else as it is," Mustang explained, though Komui knew the real reason behind the man's interest in his group of Exorcists.

"I think that you're lying. I don't want the real reason, we all have our secrets. Hmm," Komui stopped suddenly, Ed and Al crashing into his back. All the Exorcists were used to his sudden stops, and they saw it coming a few feet back, having stopped just as spontaneously as he did. Mustang took one more step before he registered the man's action, then stopping himself.

"Well, then shall we brief you? Young Edward here seems to have already told everyone his story, their story. So now, let us tell you ours," Komui took a step back and snagged Allen by the shoulder. The white-haired boy then stood in front of the man, looking up to Mustang just by a little with wide blue eyes. "This boy is our most valuable asset. He is not to be let out of your sight, nor are any of the others. They must be with someone from the world at all times, and preferably one that knows how to deal with these Homunculus things. There is not a soul on this Earth who can replace any of these young teens, so before we continue, I need all three of you to promise that they will not come to any harm out of your sight," Komui eyed Ed, Al, and Mustang with his heart in his eyes, and they all knew that it was not just his professional duty, but also his personal one.

"Very well, but I need you five to promise that these two will come to no harm out of your sight as well. They are our most valuable, and they are the only reason that I even considered taking over this crazy mission," Mustang spoke a little less sincerely, but they could all tell that he had the same intention as Komui.

With one satisfying ring into the blue sky around them, one simultaneous shout of "We promise" was cried into the air. And so it was that the Exorcists and the Alchemists joined legions. So it was that there was now a force that would battle Akuma, Homunculus, and Noah all at the same time. So it was that one group of inseparable friends was to be born. This was the new chapter in all of their lives, one that would eventually lead to the end.

Ready to start the real story?

_**Author's Note: Yes, I know this is horribly horribly short, but I did what I had to do. I have not had as much computer time I thought I would, and so that is the main reason for this horrible chapter. I feel that I can promise you guys a chapter a weekend, If you continue to review and make me want to write this. This chapter was also sort of the transition into the beginning of the real plot, the next chapter going to be one more explaining chapter before we get onto the good stuff. I hope I have managed to keep you all entertained, and maybe even get some of you hooked. I just want this to be a really long story, so that is why I have elongated all the chapters and feel horrible about this one. **_

_**This is the beginning of the real story. Care to join me?**_


	10. Host

_**Author's Note: From now on, I have decided to write chapters in this point of view, rather than switching between Allen and Ed's P.O.V all the time. So, sorry for the late change, but I hope you all still like the story. XD**_

Chapter Ten – Host

They were all gathered in the crowded office of Mustang, each group facing each other. Ed, Al, Mustang and Hawkeye sat on one couch while Komui, Lavi, and Leenalee sat on the other. Kanda and Allen stood behind them, still glancing nervously at the crowd of military personnel that worked for Mustang. They all hovered around the group, their eyes wide and waiting as the Exorcists prepared to tell their story. Allen glanced to Komui with hard eyes as he began to tell it.

"Our order is called the Black Order, the Dark Order. We are a group of scientists, Finders, Exorcists, and Generals. Generals are Exorcists that are beyond normal and have proven their worth in battle after battle, Allen-Kun here being the youngest we have had yet," Komui smiled up at the boy when he protested at his nickname being used. Lavi joined in on teasing him before Allen shut them both up with a glare that could kill.

"I fight for the Humans and the Akuma. I fight to save the Humans and release the poor souls inside of the Akuma. It's our job to make sure that they don't spread to other worlds, but apparently the Noah have made a deal with the Homunculus over here," Allen's glare left his friends as a more friendly stare landed on the couch opposite himself.

"What are Akuma?" Fury piped up across the room, all eyes flitting to him.

"They are demons. They are made when someone calls back the soul of their loved one. Their loved one then kills them, taking their body and skin to use for themselves and the Earl's purposes. The Millennium Earl is the head of the Clan of Noah, our arch-enemies, I guess you could call them," Kanda spoke with enough hatred in his voice to have poor Fury cowering up against the wall. Komui gave another smile, oblivious to the fear around him as he continued.

"Our job is to get more Innocence than the Earl and Noah. Innocence is what enables Exorcists to be created, made, find their weapons and fight. Kanda has his sword, Allen his arm, Lavi his hammer, and Leenalee her boots. Each Innocence user can come to a point in which they develop their Innocence, as Allen did to come to the point of having Crowned Clown," At that point, Allen activated his Innocence, showing off to them his white and black arm. A silver mask as holding a white cloak to his chest, explaining where he got the name "Crowned Clown". Komui continued to explain that Leenalee had developed as well, watching as Leenalee stood up, and activated her red boots, showing them off to the others. Lavi stood next to her, growing his hammer to the point of it being about head level. Kanda pulled Mugen free of its' sheath with a little too much enjoyment out of the reactions gotten from the Alchemists.

"There are only two more Exorcists that have had any experience in the battlefield, Krory and Miranda. They are both on missions at the moment, but should you ever wish to meet them, I can arrange it," Komui was left as the only one sitting, a smile plastered on his face as he told the story.

"Why is your hair white, Allen? And what is with the scar?" Someone piped up from the small crowd of Central Military personnel. Allen stiffened, his eyes flitting to the general direction of the voice. His whole demeanor had changed the instant they started to ask him the question, now a dark aura enveloping him.

"As a child, I lost my adoptive father, Mana. I made him come back, but instead of killing me, he cursed me. I killed him instead…" Allen trailed off, his gaze diverting to the floor. All went silent as Ed and Al suddenly made the connection he had made not to long ago. They realized just how much the Exorcist General was like them, and just how much they were like the other. Ed stood, looking to the group with seriousness.

"You were right when you said I had Innocence, Lavi," Ed dug in his pocket as Kanda and Allen turned on him. Allen snapped out of his depressing revere, saying something along the lines of "Why didn't you tell us?" and watching calmly as Kanda pointed the sword at the Rabbits throat. The military group was ready to save the rabbit, but Kanda sent them a glare that fended them off.

"I didn't say anything 'cuz I wasn't sure. Plus, he denied it and he _seemed_ like an honest kid," Lavi shot a glare towards Allen as he paid no mind to the sword at his neck. Ed grumbled something about being called a kid, but left it at that as Al looked to him sternly. Ed outstretched his hand, the glowing green orb hovering slightly over his skin. All the Exorcists left their pointless battle, eyes falling to the Innocence.

"Yeah, that is definitely Innocence," Lavi stated the obvious, getting glares then even from the opposite side. Ed prepared to hand it over but was surprised when Komui stopped him.

"Are you sure he isn't a host?" Komui eyed the others, watching as their eyes lit up with realization. Allen took a step around the couch, his white cloak billowing slightly behind him as he did so. He reached towards the boy with his white hand, letting the Innocence decide then. It was a Generals job to know if there was host, and the Innocence would not respond to Allen if Edward ended up being one.

Al took a step closer just then, the orb bouncing slightly at the movement. All Exorcists eyes flitted to him, all except Allen as he stared intently at the orb. "Hand it to Al, would you?" He asked kindly. Ed did just that, watching as it bounced all too happily into the Armored boys' hand. Allen followed it, his hand still outstretched towards the orb as he waited for it to decide. All eyes were watching, all of their hearts nearly in their throats. Al held the orb, watching it with curiosity.

He could feel it. He could feel the warmth the orb had to offer, the little pulse of life that it was. He could feel something after nearly three years of not even being able to sleep. He wanted to scream and jump with joy at even the small fact he could feel it, if he didn't end up being a host. He wanted to smile, to be able to show the others just what he was feeling right then. He wanted more than anything to show Ed that he was happy and to have his brother stop worrying about everyone but himself. He wanted to scream and shout and smile and dance, all in his human body. He could feel the warmth.

"It chose him. Al is a host," Allen declared after a lengthy pause. Al looked back up to the General, at once seeing a General and not a boy any longer.

So, what did a being a host mean, exactly?

_**Author's Note 2: So, yeah, Al is a host. If you want to comment with ideas on what his Innocence could take the form of, I would appreciate the help immensely. I hope I didn't just ruin his character, but I think that it takes the right form, it will end well. **_

_**Thanks for reading! Please Review?**_


	11. Shattered Souls

Chapter Eleven – Shattered Souls.

Weeks had passed now and the Exorcists and Alchemists were both working together to solve the puzzle. They had been on the move, going from city to city to show the Exorcists around and make sure that the Akuma population was kept down. The Exorcists always made sure that Ed was out of the way, but somehow his little brother Al managed to get in on the fights. Al was still in the learning stages, but he had to learn somehow. As for the Homunculus, Ed and Al were taking the Exorcists to towns in which they knew they would at least get something about them. Their search for the Philosopher's stone was going no where, and the Exorcists weren't showing any effort to helping. They were all about the Innocence.

Out of all the Exorcists Allen and Leenalee were the most supportive of Al. Lavi had his moments, but he also made sure that the young boy realized what he was getting himself into. The Alchemists soon came to realize that his carefree attitude was an act, but one that was kept up almost constantly. Ed was trying to figure him out, but Al really didn't care. Kanda was the worst, saying that Al was too immature to handle it. Ed stood up for the boy, telling him that he had no right to talk – not with what they had been through. Kanda shook that off, always saying then that Al should be able to stand up for himself.

There had been no development in what form Al's Innocence would take, but all were hopeful. Allen would take Al aside and explain to him just how Innocence worked, how you had to have an understanding of what you wanted before it would awaken. He told Al the story of how Crown Clown awoke, leaving the boy almost speechless. But, something else clicked in the boy's mind.

"So, you woke yours up when you killed your dad?" Al looked to the white-haired General with curiosity. Allen looked taken aback, shock in his eyes as he stared up at the metallic boy. He then shook his head, his blue eyes showing painful memories as he continued to stare at the Armor. Allen was debating whether or not he should tell this boy anymore than he already had. They had told him all their tragedies…

"Al! Guess who just called!" Ed came flying around the corner of the building Al and Allen had been hiding behind, catching both off guard. The goofy grin on Ed's face had Al laughing as soon as he spotted the boy.

"Hmm, Winry?" Al walked towards the boy as he started up talking in speed mode. That left Allen in the hallway, deeply in thought about his past. Could he really trust these Amestrians?

Al listened to Edward rant and babble, happy that at least one of them was happy. He just had too much on his mind to even think about anything. First it was the fact that he had no body, and now it was the fact that he was a host. He still had no idea what that even meant. It either meant that he was going to become as heartless as Kanda, or something like Allen. Allen was a mystery all to himself, but Al didn't want to pester the boy General.

"Armor boy, runt," Kanda caught up to the duo, catching Ed by surprise and angering the boy. He started to call Kanda some names, but Al slapped a hand over his mouth. He knew that out of the two of them, Kanda would win in a heartbeat.

"What?" Al was the one to speak, his voice clearly giving away how distracted he was. Ed looked to his brother, concern in his golden eyes. Without any further warning, Kanda drew Mugen and was attacking the brothers as they stared blankly at him. Al jumped to the side, pushing Ed opposite him. Kanda turned and it was clear then that he was after Al, not Ed. "Stay out of this Ed!" Al called, clapping his hands together as he shot Alchemy towards Kanda. Kanda dodged, sharp eyes never leaving Al. Ed was shouting off in the distance about how he should be able to fight, and about how someone who called him a runt shouldn't be afraid to fight him. Al called to Ed, as he dodged fists and sword, for him to shut up and that he always won anyway. That left the boy to watch the fight with wide-eyed anger and astonishment.

_It's now or never. It's now or never. Attack him. Get him. _Al's thoughts were frantic as he dodged being sliced in two by the man's sword. He had not gotten a single punch in, something that never happened. He was always aware of what was happening, but now… Now his mind was blank. There was nothing there, no moves, no comments, no urge to survive. Kanda made him think of death, one that he would welcome if it saved his brother from the unpredictable Samurai. _This is bad. This is bad. This is really bad._ As Kanda made a swipe at the boy, Ed came rushing in behind the man. He had his auto-mail arm transmuted, ready to put the blade right through anyone who dared try and hurt his brother. Kanda obviously heard him coming, simply elbowing Ed in the gut as he landed with a grunt on the ground in front of Al. In the next instant, Kanda was ready to stab the sword through Ed.

"No!" Al jumped in front of his brother, guarding the boy with his life. There was nothing that could stand between him and Ed then, nothing that would take his brother away from him. It was all Al had not to run screaming as the blade nearly made contact with his armor. It was all he had not to hope for death, to hope that his soul didn't pick now to be a wimp. A giant shield appeared in front of him, glowing a slight green, intricate golden swirls appearing on it as Kanda slashed at it. The golden swirls started to take over Al's body, soon consuming his whole armor. At that point, Kanda slashed at it. He was repelled across the small hallway and right through the wall.

He was protecting Ed. He was doing it. He could finally be of some use in helping Ed realize that he was not alone. He wanted his brother to know that he was not alone, that Al would always be there for him. He wanted his brother to look to more than just Winry and himself for help. He wanted Ed to realize that he was not alone in his battle. This battle had taken to more than just their selfish reasons. It was now the whole country's issue.

He wanted to say to Ed that he was not alone in this big world, that this shield was meant for him and his protection. He wanted to say it…

But his soul picked now to black out.

_**Author's Note: Ooooh, poor Al! I have such a guilty conscious for hurting him. *sniffle* But, I am going to try a test chapter next chapter, throw a twist in there if I can. I have to look at the plot of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood to see if it would work, or if it would horribly destroy the ending. My guess is, it will destroy it. Anywho, I've babbled enough.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed! Please review, it's what keeps me going. :D**_


	12. Too Good To Be True?

Chapter Twelve – Too Good To Be True?

He could easily say that this was the blankest place he had ever been – he could have, but he didn't know where he was. He didn't remember, and he didn't want to. He felt content, felt like he had accomplished whatever it was he wanted in life. He felt whole, almost ready to move on to the next world. But, something was off. Something was wrong with the feeling of this place. It felt hollow and shallow, almost empty and full of pity. It was wrong.

"Welcome again, Alchemist," A voice sneered from behind him. He turned calmly, his armored body creaking slightly into the hollow air around him as he did so. His eyes landed on a white being, the only thing to tell him he was there the black outline around him. A smile was plastered on the beings face, his hand stuck up in a waving motion.

"Hello," Al politely answered back. He smiled, feeling his soul commit the action but his armor stay completely still. At that, the beings hand went from waving to pointing.

"You have a choice, young one. What you just did was a… hmm, it was a way you could win," The being smiled, sitting down where he stood across from Al. Al sat as well, cross-legged and looking to the spot on the hollow face in which there should have been eyes. There weren't any.

"What did I do?" Al asked, sincerely confused. The last thing he remembered was…! Al suddenly remembered as Kanda lunged for him, protecting his brother as his soul had decided to give out. A shocked gasp filled the hollow place as he realized this; his eyes then flitting back to the being. "What do you mean I have a choice?" Al was now scrutinizing the being, suddenly less polite towards him… It.

"You have the choice of Alchemy or Exorcism in your hands. Meaning, you have the choice of giving up what you did with Alchemy, regaining your body and going back to the world of the living, or…" The being stood, walking over to the still sitting armor, "You die here and now as an Alchemist. There can be no human who has both; it is either one or the other. You would become too conflicted with both those powers within you. There would be nothing left to fight for if you regained your body, however," The being laid out all of the taunting choices in front of Al. He had frozen, not sure whether to think that he was really dead or to hope that Ed would bring him back right now somehow.

Get my body back or die? What kind of option is that? Get my body back… I could… We could stop fighting for the useless, maybe get somewhere with the Homunculus… Would losing Alchemy be worth it though? Would it really be worth getting my body back to just go back into battle for something that is an Exorcists job?

* * *

><p>"Al! Dammit!" Ed scrambled to his feet, catching the armor as it fell and nearly crushed him. He set it down, tearing off the helmet and peering inside. Kanda stopped all attacks, seeing how serious this was. Leenalee and Allen came running around the corner, joined shortly by Lavi. Leenalee gasped and nearly fell to her knees when she saw that there was no one in the armor. "Al, Dammit! Get your ass back here!" Ed shouted at his brother, removing the front of his armor to get a better look inside.<p>

Think, dammit, think! What should I do? What happened before? Before, he kept coming back on his own. Maybe that's what'll happen this time. Dammit!

Ed whirled to face Kanda, fury in his eyes and voice. "Look what you did, damn you! My brother is dead because of you!" And just like a small kid, Ed ran up to the man and starting punching him over and over again. Kanda blocked, but as the tears started to flow down Ed's cheeks, a sense of guilt that had never been there before started to eat away at his conscious. Allen pulled the boy off of him, shocked when Ed gave up that easily and fell to the floor next to Al's armor.

"Al…Not you too..Nina…Mom, Hughes…Please, not you too," Ed mumbled under his breath as his shoulders shook and tears spilled over his face. There was no consoling someone who had just lost the only living family member they had. Ed pounded a fist to the ground, tears spraying with the shake of his head. "I can't lose you too!"

Silence rang in the hallway, Kanda staring at the heartbroken boy in fear. Ed's sobs were the only sound to be heard, his curses muttered in there the only coherent words they could make out. Kanda watched the boy and knew that they were more than just brothers, knew that this bond they had was more than just wanting to get their bodies back. He knew that he had probably just killed the only reason this boy had for living, other than to save the country. He knew, he realized, that he just killed someone's hope.

Why did he pick now to grow a heart?

Ed stood suddenly, walking over to a nearby wall. He slapped his hands together, rock shooting towards the samurai. Kanda dodged, but just barely. He fell to his knees as a rock collided with his head.

"You… What did you hope to gain by fighting him? What did you want to accomplish?" Ed was shouting at the top of his lungs as he continued to shoot rock at the samurai. Kanda dodged at first, his thoughts then taking over and making it so he got hit more and more. Soon, Allen had to hold Ed back while the boy continued to shout curses and threats. Kanda fell to his knees, the bruises and cuts from the rock taking their toll on him. Leenalee rushed to his side, ready to help him up. He shook her off, looking up to lock eyes with the heartbroken brother.

"I didn't mean to. I didn't know what would happen… I didn't mean to. I didn't…I didn't mean to," Kanda's own weakness showed, silencing everyone in the room. His shoulders shook, but no tears escaped. He found himself unable to cry, unable to truly show emotion. The only thing he could come close to was apologizing and shaking his head. It was all he could do not to break down right there on the spot and say how sorry he was for taking someone's life away…

Again.

* * *

><p>"How do I know that you aren't lying to me?" Al was still sitting, eyeing the figure that stood in front of him. There was nothing that said that he should or could trust this figure, as judged by what had happened before. But, if this got him his body back, who was to say that that was not a good thing? Who was to say that Exorcism wasn't a better bet than Alchemy?<p>

"Hmm, how about if I show you this?" With a wave of his hand, a mirror-like surface appeared in front of Al. His human body was there, sitting like he had been moments ago. His hair hung to his shoulders in pale blonde locks, his golden-hazel eyes opened in shock as he spotted himself. His human self. He stood robotically, locking eyes with the reflection as he did so. He also listened to every small sound, determined to hear the sound of armor if this was just a trick. He was determined to know if this was the truth that was too good to be true.

"So, what's the catch?" He spoke, his voice losing the metallic quality it had possessed for so long. It was his normal, human boy voice. The figure smiled, laughing as he reappeared behind Al.

"You forget all things Alchemy. Meaning, you would forget the past four years of time with your brother," The figure smiled a wicked smile as Al stared at it in horror. How could he choose a life in which he didn't remember his own brother?

**Author's Note: Okay, so I did end up doing the twist that I was talking about. This is still going to try and follow the brotherhood plot, but I think I just crushed that with this chapter. Give me some feedback?**

**And also, yes I did take the "You would forget all things alchemy" catch from the original series, but that was a good catch to getting his body back. I quite enjoyed it, so using it maybe will work, but who knows. In the mean time, just enjoy the story. Thanks! Review please! :D**


	13. Forget

Chapter Thirteen – Forget

"So you're telling me that I would forget that we transmuted mom?" Al looked to the figure with fear in his murky hazel eyes. The figure nodded, as if he had explained this over and over again and was tired of doing it. Al ran a hand through his hair, thoughts buzzing across his head all at once. Could he live with himself if he forgot Ed? Could he live with the fact that he would have to regain his memories? Could he fight for this and even hope to win?

"So, what's your decision? Get back soon, otherwise they might just leave you there," With a wave of his hand, an image of Ed bawling over Al's armor appeared. Allen was crouched next to him, Leenalee placing one hand on his shoulder as Lavi crouched on the other side. Kanda was off in the distance, kneeling as he watched the horrifying scene. Al lurched forward, reaching for the image as if he could soothe his brother somehow.

"I take it. I take my body and Exorcism. Let me go back to my brother," Al nearly screamed this to the figure as the image disappeared from in front of him. The figure smiled, waving as if in good-bye as Al's vision went completely white.

* * *

><p>Ed was crouched by the armor, one hand on it and slamming down uselessly as if he could fix it somehow. Tears stained his cheeks, anger and hatred burning through his soul. He hung his head, his blonde bangs hiding a good amount of sight from his eyes. The others had pieced the armor back together, returning it to its normal state. It was as if they knew he was dead and were preparing the armor for transportation. Ed hated that. Ed hated the fact that they thought Al would give up so easily. A thud in front of Ed had him looking up in seconds.<p>

The helmet of the armor fell off, crawling out Al's body. Before that could even register in Ed's head, Al was giving him a dazzling smile.

"Brother, what are we doing here? Where's Mom?" Al crawled the rest of the way out, his shoulder length hair falling over one shoulder as every pair of eyes landed on him. Ed's opened in shock, his body freezing immediately. His muscles coiled, his body becoming one tense ball of confusion.

"Al…Don't you remember?" Ed whispered the words, watching as his brother looked over to him with a small confused smile. _His brother had smiled._ Ed stared back blankly, watching and trying desperately to register what was happening.

"Remember what? Mom was gonna make pancakes this morning, right?" Al smiled, letting out a small laugh. Everyone froze; the entire group of Exorcist's watching Ed for his reaction. They could tell that he was battling inside, confused and panicking. They had no idea how to react, though all of them were joyful that Al was in fact alive. Ed was screaming inside to touch Al and make sure that he was okay, make sure that he was really there.

"A-Al, don't you remember?" Ed wiped the tear stains from his cheeks, taking off his red cloak and nearing the boy. Al took the coat eagerly, putting it on to hide his small body. Al smiled to Ed, but as Ed spoke that smile turned to confusion.

"Remember what, Brother?" Al stared at Ed with giant, innocent eyes. Ed stared back with eyes that screamed of the battle inside himself, of the turmoil that he was facing. Ed pulled his brother against his chest, savoring the feeling of his brother's live body again.

"Nothing Al, nothing. Mom will want us home soon," Ed whispered against his brothers' hair. The Exorcists looked to him with confusion, Ed shaking them off as he picked Al up. "C'mon, let's go get you something to eat," Ed walked off down the hall carrying a laughing and babbling Al in his arms. The Exorcists let them be, Allen going to Kanda's side as he was soon joined by both Leenalee and Lavi.

"You okay Kanda?" The man sighed, shaking his head at Allen's comment. With a huff and a rather cross look to his companions, he stood and stormed off down the hall while grumbling.

"I've never seen Yuu that… Well, like that," Lavi stated as they all watched the furious samurai storm down the hall. Leenalee sighed, rolling her eyes at Lavi's comment.

"I think we have bigger things to worry about than Kanda's mood change," Leenalee stated with a smack to Lavi's arm. Lavi eyed her but made no witty comeback, obviously agreeing with her. Allen sighed, running his Akuma hand through his shaggy white hair.

"Do you think those brothers will be okay?" Allen asked, sincerely concerned for Ed and Al. He knew that Al was physically unharmed, but Ed had been emotionally. Edward had just gotten his brother back, and yet Al remembered nothing. It was as if Ed was truly condemned to a life in which he could never have his brother, his family. Allen felt a pang of sorrow in his heart as he felt exactly the same way. He knew that he had his replacement family, if you will, but to have Mana back would mean the world. To have Mana back and go traveling in the circus would be the perfect life for Allen.

"Ed will figure it out," Leenalee put a hand on the boy generals' shoulder, comforting him without really even meaning to. Allen shot her a grateful look.

"What about the Innocence?" Lavi asked, looking to Allen and Leenalee as they both suddenly remembered it as well. They all met eyes, shock in them as they all tried to come up with possible explanations. If its' host died, then that meant that it would be past on to the next user, right? Al hadn't died, and it was no where to be found in the small hallway. The Exorcists knew that Al was indeed a host, but let it go for the time being.

* * *

><p>"Brother, who were those people with us?" Al asked as he stuffed his face full of stew and a giant glass of milk. Ed smiled, running a hand through his hair as he absently picked at his stew as well. The milk was left untouched.<p>

"They are some friends, Al. They… well they are helping us with a mission of ours," Ed's heart tightened at the loss of his brother's dedication to their mission. He felt almost empty with Al not knowing what the Homunculus are, or what happened to his arm and leg. No matter how much Ed brought up, Al only remembered that their mom had died. He never hinted that he even remembered transmuting her, or losing his body. It was as if the last four years of his life had been wiped away, leaving a boy thinking he was ten, and in reality he was 14.

"We had a mission? How cool!" Al cried out, muffled by a dripping mouthful of soup. Ed smiled, tossing him a napkin. Normally, he would have laughed at his goofy brother, but now… now it was hard for him to smile.

"Yeah… cool," Ed rubbed his auto-mail hand absently, his metal leg cold against his flesh one. Al stopped eating as he spotted the somber look on his brothers' face, looking to the older teen with concern. He put his spoon down in his bowl, clutching the red coat closer to his skin.

"Why do you have a state alchemist jacket, Ed?" Al asked, shocking Ed to look up at him. Ed shrugged, letting his memories fall back to how happy Al was for him. Now, Al couldn't even remember.

"I became one after mom died, you just don't remember it," Ed said sadly, looking to his brother as his light blonde hair fell over a red clad shoulder. Al closed his hazel eyes, looking painfully to the floor.

_Why couldn't he remember?_

_**Author's Note: I really, really, really, really hope that I fixed this. I like where this is going, I like where the plot is going to lead. Please keep reading, and reviewing, it means the world to a writer who probably just butchered the plot of FMA. :P**_


	14. Brother, the World is Ending!

Chapter Fourteen – Brother, the World is Ending!

"Ed! Come here!" Al shouted down the hall for his brother, blonde hair streaming behind him as his frail legs carried him as fast as they could. It had only been three weeks, but surprisingly he had made a quick recovery from not being fed for four years. Ed was starting to think that maybe this was best, that this would work out in the end. However, he still had no memory of those precious four years.

"Gah! What the hell Al?" Ed was caught off guard by his brother's shouting, his spar with Kanda ending badly for him. The two had taken to sparring regularly, Allen or Lavi interjecting and sparring sometimes as well. All in all, the group had started to make a comfortable adjustment to their living styles. They no longer fought as much, and a certain friendship had started to develop between everyone except Kanda. He was still as hard to crack as ever, and now pinning Ed to the ground as they both stared to the small boy, his anger showed.

"Ed, come here quick!" Al grabbed his brother out from underneath Kanda, successfully knocking the Exorcist onto the ground, getting a startle huff from him. The others watching all gasped as a boy half Ed's size had managed to not even purposefully knock over the tough Exorcist. Ed and Al blurred around the corner, coming face to face with a window. Outside, it was snowing a lovely sheet of puffy white balls. The look of wonder on Al's face and his bony pointing finger almost had Ed laughing.

"Al, it's just snow," Ed smiled, looking out to the white world with fond memories of the first time this had happened. Growing up in Resembol, there was rarely any snow. The first time they had seen it had been when Al was staying awake one night in his armor, Central city sprinkling the orbs down onto the roof above them. Al had freaked out and thought the world was ending, and now apparently he forgot about that too.

"Snow? Brother, the world is ending!" Al tugged the older teens sleeve, his wide innocent eyes turning from wonder to horror. Ed laughed, slapping a hand to the boy's back with a cheery chuckle.

"Come on, I'll show you it's nothing to be afraid of," Ed took the boy by the hand, ignoring the watchers they had gathered. Allen and Leenalee had adoring smiles on their faces, Lavi laughing with Ed. Kanda had vanished to some unknown corner, probably for the best. Ed stopped by the door, taking of his red jacket and bundling his brother in it. He opened the door of the small cabin they were staying in and shoved his brother out there.

Al stumbled at first, his eyes horrified as he was suddenly being covered in the odd white stuff. Al froze momentarily, his whole body coiling as a reflex. Ed sighed, moving out into the snow and grabbing a handful of it in his hands. With a cry to his brother, he chucked the snowball at Al. Al dodged it, laughter overtaking his horrified eyes. Soon, it was a full blown fight between the two siblings, Ed totally creaming the confused boy. The Exorcists watched from the doorway, their laughter tinkling in with the siblings. Soon, they were out there was well, Lavi chucking one at Leenalee as she giggled and attempted to run away. Allen and Ed went at it, Allen eventually helping Al as his protector.

From the doorway, Kanda emerged. His face showed no emotion, his general ticked off mood showing even against the cheery atmosphere. Allen spotted him, chucking a snowball smack-dab in the middle of his face. Kanda growled, wiping the melting substance off of his face as he pulled Mugen free. Allen laughed, smacking the sword out of the mans' hand as he chucked another snowball at him. Kanda shot a few curses at him, then starting to chuck snowballs at the white-haired boy with a newfound anger. Allen continued to laugh, Leenalee and Lavi freezing momentarily at the boy's daring actions. As soon as they saw that he was in fact still alive, they went back to fighting with Ed and Al.

The scene turned the depressing aura that had enveloped the small group for the past weeks around. It turned it into one of competition and fun, a thrill that none of them had felt in a long while. They were small children again, all of their ordeals and horrible experiences left behind. They were no longer Alchemists and Exorcists, they were just teens. They were normal, like any other group of people. Their clothes were soaked; their faces flushed red and heated. Their smiles never left their faces, their laughter never ceasing to fill the air. They were carefree, the Homunculus and Noah not even a twinkle in their minds. They cared for nothing other than hitting their target with the snowballs. They cared for nothing other than letting their footprints ruin the perfect landscape, their footprints and handprints the only thing to be seen on the perfectly white landscape.

"Brother! Brother, stop it!" Al screamed out as his brother picked him up, laughing hard as they both toppled to the ground thanks to his struggling. They tangled into one mass, laughing and gasping for breath as they tried to untangle themselves. Lavi tripped over them, landing on top of Ed as Leenalee landed on him. They laughed harder at the golden-eyed boys protests. Allen tripped next, falling next to Ed with a _thud_ as Kanda landed on top of him.

Now all one mass of contorted teen bodies, their laughter doubled. Lavi rolled off, taking Leenalee with him as he was now on top of her. Allen was panting with Kanda's face mere inches away from his own, Ed and Al laughing as they made their escape from the pile. Looking over to Lavi and Leenalee, blush was hinting both of their cheeks. Kanda was still on top of Allen, leaning in to whisper something in his ear before he left a blushing Exorcist on the ground as he retreated inside.

"Brother, did Kanda just smile?" Al leaned closer to Ed for some warmth, laughing as Ed did a double take to the fast-retreating Exorcist. Ed laughed then, ruffling his younger brothers' hair.

"Maybe the world really is ending, Al," He laughed as Al slammed one more snowball into his chest before jumping to his feet and running inside. Ed followed, shouting joking threats to the younger boy. Leenalee kissed Lavi once on the cheek, shocking him enough to escape from under him. She ran inside while laughing, shouting back to him playfully. Snapping back to life, he followed her eagerly.

Allen stayed out in the snow, lying with his arms off to either side of him. He stared up at the pristine blue sky, a smile playing across his face. His jacket was soaked and clinging to his skin, his white bangs sticking to his forehead as his chest heaved with labored breaths. The memory and feeling of Kanda against him still played over and over in his mind, the words he whispered huskily still stuck on repeat in his mind.

"You better not do that again, Allen, otherwise who knows what I'll do to you,"

Kanda had used his name. Kanda had called him Allen.

_**Author's note: Okay, so this was pretty much just a fun chapter for no apparent reason. I think I did this to work on my writer's block and break through that stubborn wall… Also, I got to set up one of my favorite couplings ever! Yullen!**_

_**Anyway, I wrote this while listening to** **the song listed below, and that is why it is such a carefree chapter. Hope you enjoyed anyway, and who knows, you might just get two chapters this weekend. :D Review please! It's what keeps me going! :D**_

_****_Jumpstart by These Kids Wear Crowns  
><em>****_


	15. It's a Personal Thing

Chapter Fifteen – It's a Personal Thing

"Oi, Al, didja fall in?" Ed tapped on the door with his metal knuckles, calling out playfully to his brother. Al laughed from inside the door, opening it suddenly so that Ed fell forward and nearly landed on him.

"No, you're just impatient," Al smiled, wrapping the warm towel closer around himself. He laughed as Ed pushed past him with a halfhearted retort, shutting the bathroom door behind himself. Al walked over to the bed, dressing quickly into a warm ensemble of jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, and snagging on of his brother's red jackets. He lay down on the bed, his long blonde hair splayed out behind him on the pillow as it dried.

He still couldn't believe he had his body back. Ed thought that he forgot that he had lost it, but he had been gaining pieces of it as he slept sometimes. Ed also told him many stories, all with a somber look on his face. Today, after the snowball fight that had been the first time in three weeks that Al had seen his older brother laugh. A pang of sadness nagged at Al's heart as he realize that Ed still had his metal limbs, but he was here in whole. He found it unfair that Ed carried the burden of not only his lost limbs, but also remembering what he couldn't. He wanted nothing more than to remember what Ed said they had done the past four years, but all the times he tried, it came up blank. The only thing he remembered were Ed's reassuring words, right as their mother passed on, that she would make pancakes for them in the morning. It seemed that that had been the older boy's promise that whatever they had done would lead to them getting their mother back, as if he could promise that they would recreate her. Obviously, they had failed.

Al sat up, running a hand through his long pale blonde hair. He caught a look at himself in the mirror across from the bed, locking eyes with himself. His cheeks were still hollow, but they had filled out after every meal that Ed forced him to eat. His eyes had regained some sparkle of life to them, his pale skin tanning a bit from the exposure to the sun. His hair still touched his shoulders, maybe an inch or so longer. He had had no reason to cut it, so he had decided that he would let it be long. So far, it had proven to not be as bad as he thought it would be. His body was still weak, still frail, and he was still unable to do anything.

He hated being useless.

Al got up, calling to Ed and saying that he was going to go walk around. He almost slammed the door behind him, his thoughts now causing his anger to show. He walked briskly down the halls, running straight into Leenalee as she rounded the corner.

"Oh, Leenalee! I'm so sorry!" Al scrambled to get off of her as they both fell to the ground, laughing sheepishly as she laughed. He stood up, sticking out a hand to help her up. She smiled and took it gratefully.

"Hello there Al," She smiled, expecting him to do the same. He tried, but no matter how hard he did, it just wouldn't come. She saw this, her look turning to concern. "Everything alright?" Al looked back up to her with startled eyes then.

"Perfect. Don't worry about me, I can handle myself," Al said the words, and somehow it felt like they were normal words to be spoken. It felt like he had said them many times before, as if people constantly fretting over him was an old thing.

"Alphonse, I know that isn't true. And I am naturally a very caring person, so it's only natural for me to worry about you," Leenalee smiled, taking the boy by the hands and towing him towards a secret corner. Al let himself be towed, curious as to where this might lead. He wanted someone other than his depressed brother to talk to, and maybe Leenalee would offer that chance to him.

"Leenalee, can I ask you something?" Al spoke as she plopped him down in an armchair across from the couch where she sat. She nodded, her thick pigtails bobbing as she did so. "Did you know the armored me very well? I mean… Was I the same as I am now?" Al met eyes with her, curiosity and depression in his. She looked back to him, shocked a little that he would ask something so… well, so sad.

"I didn't know you for very long, but I would say that you are the same. You and Ed still interact like you did before, and you seem to be just as smart as you were in the big hunk of metal," She smiled, hoping her words would soothe him somehow. Al nodded, his eyes traveling to the floor.

"Leenalee… What's it like to have a family?" Al didn't look back up, shading his face shyly with a curtain of blonde hair. Leenalee eyed him, not sure how to answer.

"Al…" Leenalee trailed off as the boy met her eyes with burning ones, his face begging her to answer, "Well, I wouldn't know exactly. Sure, I have Lavi, Allen and Kanda, but my brother and I aren't exactly the closest. I have a home at the Black Order, one that I can always return to, but it isn't exactly the 'family' that you're talking about. And Al, you already very much have a family in Ed. It seems like it's maybe just the shock of having you here, back in your body, that has made him so distant lately." Leenalee stopped as she watched for Al's reaction.

"But, you don't understand. I would give anything to see my mothers' happy face again, but now that I am back in my body… I can barely remember the last time I saw her smile, let alone remember her dying. Ed says that maybe it was for the best that I forgot, that maybe it was just better that I don't have the burden of those memories with me… But the truth is, I want them back. I want to be able to take some of the weight off of Brother's shoulders… He deserves his limbs back just as much as I deserve this body," Al lowered his gaze again, his shoulders shaking as he tried to hold back the threatening tears.

Leenalee made no move to talk, no move to comfort the boy. This was very much a personal thing, one that shedding tears would help. She could relate to him, knew exactly how he felt. He had no one, and the one person who he thought he could cling to was forgetting how to be happy. She had been there before with Komui, been there before with many others of her 'siblings' at the Black Order. It seemed like maybe this was just a part of their lives, a part of what Al had to fight through to make sure Ed understood his feelings.

Leenalee looked over to the corner of the room, spotting some chipping to the wall. It appeared as though you could peel a layer of the stone right off and see inside. She smiled, knowing exactly what that meant.

Ed had been listening after all.

_**Author's Note: Okay, so now we finally have got a chapter in here with a DGM character. I was getting really tired of just FMA, but I don't know if that was true for you guys. Anyway, Sorry I lied about getting two chapters in a weekend, it just seemed at the time that I would actually have some free time… My parents lied. XD**_

_**So, now you know the drill. Review please! Makes one happy writer when ya do! :D**_


	16. Always Know Just What to Say

Chapter Sixteen – Always Know Just What to Say.

Edward walked back to the room in silence, his hand jammed in fists in his pockets. His raid was slung over on shoulder, his bangs shading his face. He stared at the floor, counting each step he took and each _clink_ his metal leg made. Inside his pocket, he casually rubbed his metal thumb and index finger together, listening to the creaks and scrapes those made.

Al shouldn't feel that way. He shouldn't be worrying about Ed, more about himself. Al should be happy he had gotten his body back, not mourning it. What could have possible happened to make Al forget just how much he wanted to taste Winry's Apple Pie? Or Gracia's quiche? What happened to they boy who wanted nothing more than to taste and feel again? Had Ed made it so that Al didn't want to live those experiences again? Had he made it so that his brother had forgotten? Was it his fault?

Ed walked among the white arc with nothing but regrets and guilt on his mind. He was pretty sure he was lost by now, but maybe if he got lost… maybe then he could finally think clearly. They had been in this stupid arc for close to a week now, doing nothing but traveling towards an Akuma sighting. The exorcists were told to never let Ed and Al out of their sight, and the thought of simply leaving one behind while the other two went to check it out was out of the question. Ed was getting antsy, begging Allen to make a door to Resembol. Maybe Winry would be able to help him with some of this…

Or maybe she would just throw a wrench at his head. That seemed more like something Winry would do, rather than comfort him. Maybe it was best that they were dating… Sometimes he hoped that she went easier on him for that reason.

"Oh, hello Ed," Allen beamed at him as he nearly crashed into the blonde boy. Ed looked over to him, smiling slightly.

"Hey Allen," Edward hesitated then, wondering what he should say. He wanted to ask the boy something, ask anyone anything that could possibly qualm his fears and regrets. Allen seemed to have enough on his shoulders, but he also seemed to be the only one who could relate to him. All Ed wanted was someone to talk to and maybe rant to a little bit, but he didn't know if he could trust Allen… Or even if Allen wanted to be his friend.

Seeing the look of hesitation and confusion on Ed's face, Allen smiled and spoke again, "Is there something I can help you with, Ed?" Allen's silver eyes locked with the boy's burning gold ones, a smile in his and obvious regret in the other's. Ed nodded, but said nothing. He removed his hands from his pocket, exposing his metal and flesh to Allen.

"Do you think Al hates me?" Ed looked to Allen with hopes that the boy would answer but knew it was highly unlikely that he would. Ed knew that the boy didn't know Al's feelings and that he should just ask the boy himself, but right now… he just wanted to be comforted even if the words were a lie.

"No, not at all. Al loves you, that is as plain as day," Allen answered without hesitation, as if the boy's question had not even thrown him off in the least. Ed looked to him with shock, stuttering over his words as confusion set in again.

"I just don't know what to do. Al seems to hate the fact that he is back in his body… yet I want him to be happy. I want him to realize just how lucky he is to have his body back. You have no idea what I would give…" Ed trailed off, staring at his hands in discomfort. He continued as he stared at the floor, "I just want him to be happy, but right now… I think I am the one who is ruining this for him."

"Oh, Ed," Allen ran a hand through his hair, watching the grief stricken boy with interest. Why was it that he related most to this blonde haired boy? What made him any different than anyone else he had met in his short years? Allen stared at the boy now with a kind of admiration towards him. Ed was moving forward no matter what, and he was making sure that Al was with him at all times. Ed was one boy who would never give up, no matter the costs. Allen knew that Mana wanted him to do the same… But now with the information that he was the 14th, he found that all he wanted to do was to crawl into a hole and hope that that seclusion could last for a while. He found that no matter how many people he saved from Akuma, he just wanted to be a normal teen.

Ed had the ideal life, aside from losing his mother. Allen would give anything to be as determined as Ed was… Anything to keep moving and prove to Mana that he could do it and that he was not a chicken. He wanted nothing more than to keep moving, to keep destroying and saving, and to prove to everyone that he was just an Exorcist, not a Noah.

"Ed, do you understand just how lucky you are? I would give anything to have even one member of blood-related family with me. Sure, Leenalee, Kanda, and Lavi are okay… But there is nothing stronger than a bond between siblings. You lost your mother, yes, and now you are fighting for your country, but even still, you are moving forward. You are taking a step forward in the life that you have and beating the crap out of it," Allen took a step closer to the boy and grabbed his metal arm, forcing the boy to lock eyes with him,

"I have yet to see someone who is as determined as you are even after going through all of this. I have yet to see someone who can look death in the eyes and laugh at it, aside from Kanda. You may not think that Al is grateful, but on the inside, he probably only wants you to notice that he is human again. He wants you to keep moving forward and never stop, and he wants the same relationship you had when he was in armor to stay. Al just wants his laughing, carefree, annoying, and stubborn brother back. He wants the boy who hates being called short back," Allen pulled away from the boy, turning away from him almost completely.

Although Ed had heard the short comment, he almost didn't care. All Allen had said had made sense. Maybe Ed was the reason that Al was so upset right now… Maybe it was time that they both moved on with their mission.

"Thanks, Allen," Ed slapped the boys' back as he ran back the way he had come. Allen smiled to the boy, although he was already gone. Hands clenched in fists, Allen stayed where he was as thoughts nearly broke through his carefully constructed walls. He was just about at the breaking point, just about ready to give up. What was the point if everyone was having a hard time trusting him? What was the point if they all thought him a Noah?

"Moyashi, snap out of it," Kanda walked by the boy, taking one pale hand in his as he dragged the dazed boy behind him. Allen snapped out of his emotional thoughts, glaring after the man.

"BaKanda, what are you-" Kanda caged the boy against a nearby wall, their faces inches apart.

"Allen, don't let the damn Noah get to you. Just be yourself," Kanda's breath was hot on the boy's face, Allen blushing at the sound of his name. He averted his gaze to the ground, his head recoiling against the wall in hopes of personal space. Kanda grabbed his chin, pulling the boy in for a small, tender kiss. Allen's eyes flew open in shock at first, not sure how to respond. Eventually, with the gentle tugs from Kanda, the boy kissed back.

How did Kanda always know just what to say to get things off of Allen's mind?

* * *

><p>"Al! Al!" Ed caught up to the boy, grabbing him by his small wrist. Al looked over to his brother, trying to smile but failing. Ed saw this, so he smiled in return.<p>

"What's up Ed?" Al asked, watching his brother curiously. Why did he pick now? All Al wanted was some time alone to think, and maybe to do some well-needed sparring practice. Ed picked the worst times sometimes, well aware of the fact that Al wanted nothing to do with human interaction.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I've been acting like such a jerk recently. I really am happy that you got your body back, that you're here and alive… I guess the shock just needed to wear off first. So, Al, please forgive me?" Ed locked eyes with the younger boy, smiling to him as if that would insure his words were sincere. Al was shocked, his eyes widening. He watched as his brother smiled up at him – _smiled_ – and almost felt that that was the only apology he needed.

But then again, Ed always knew just what to say to get things off of his mind.

"Y-yeah, sure Ed. Thanks," Al smiled back, laughing as the boy proceeded to sling the light boy over his shoulder and lead him around the arc. Al protested, but it just didn't seem to matter what the frail boy had to say to his laughing brother. Ed was going to make sure that Al was returned to his old self no matter what. If that meant that they had to resort to sparring even in his fragile state, Ed would do it.

He was going to make sure that everything returned to normal with them.

_**Author's Note: So, this is another chapter… Sorta. I really wanna move on in the plot, but that is taking a bit of effort to form. If ya wanna comment and tell me what you think should or could happen, feel free to. I am open to anything – reasonable. :P**_ **Oh, and I also realize that I have not been specific as to where the group is... Apparently, now they are on the arc, but a chapter or two ago, they were in a random cabin... Yeah, um, they are in the arc... haha, I'll definitely figure it out next chapter. XD**

_**As for me, I am just happy I got this uploaded on the weekend. I have been swarmed by school lately… and naturally, Ed and Allen have sat on the sidelines badgering me to write more… Kanda got Mugen out at one point. **_0_o


	17. How a True Family Operates

Chapter Seventeen – How a True Family Operates

"So, you have no idea where they are, my dear?" an ominous voice rang into her ears, getting a nod from her. She placed one hand on her hip, the other twirling an ebony ringlet around her fingers. Beside her, the round ball of a creature called Gluttony rocked back and forth, somehow fascinated with his feet. She looked up, her purple eyes locking with those of her Father.

"We lost them a few days ago," she mumbled, knowing that it was the wrong answer. She also knew that _they_ were going to out-do her. _They_ were going to win over his affection, just like always. Was it wrong of her to want to steal all his love for herself? The rational part of her mind told her it was because she was Lust, the loving Homunculus from him. The irresponsible side told her she should have it all to herself, for no more reason than to show _them_ who was boss.

"Well, we know where they are," The little girl piped up from the corner. She smiled as she stuck her lollipop back in her mouth with a smack of her lips. Her brother beside her shifted, annoyed at her antics. Lust could see that Road did it just to annoy Tykki, but at this point, all Lust knew was that it was annoying her as well.

"Do share," The same ominous voice came from in front of them. Their eyes all shifted to him, watching as he sat calmly in his throne. Even the Earl shifted his glassed eyes towards the mysterious figure, wondering how one man could have such an appearance.

"They're in the Arc, isn't that right, Millennie?" Road jumped over to the Earl, jumping onto his back as she laughed delightedly. He sighed, trying to shake her as she just bounced around happily. Stopping with his attempts, he stood still and glanced over his broad shoulders at her in an annoyed way.

"Yes, I do suppose they are, Road," He huffed as she continued to cling to his back, making it impossible for him to free himself from her. Father watched with curiosity, even if it was hidden in his hard-to-read eyes. Lust had to put a hand to Gluttony's shoulder, making sure the child-like Homunculus didn't try to jump on the Earl as well. Even if she was willing to see that… _man_ die, she would rather it not be by Gluttony's doing.

"C'mon, Road, be serious," Tykki took his hat from his head with a small flip, rolling his eyes at the girl in annoyance. He smoothed back his short, jelled locks with one hand as he replaced his top hat. He caught Lust's eyes on him, winking her direction as she faltered for a moment. _Was someone flirting with her for a change?_ The answer was apparent as he made another gesture, beckoning her closer. She looked away, still holding back an excited Gluttony.

"Aww, Tykki you're no fun!" Road whined as she hopped off of the Earl's back. She walked back over to Tykki's side with a twirl of her multi-colored skirts, poking the lollipop back into her mouth as she sat casually on a rock and swung her legs back and forth. As she had left the desperate Earl, he gave a sigh of relief and shrugged his shoulders to relieve the weight of her.

"Be serious for once, Road," Tykki mumbled from the corner of the room, his eyes still locked with Lust. _She's a different one_, he thought as he saw her look away sheepishly. He smiled to himself, knowing that if she could have, she would have blushed right then.

"And what is this… Arc, that they are in?" Father drew the attention back to him as he asked the Noah his question. The Earl sighed, looking to Road as if he was mad at her for bringing it up. She smiled with another smack of her lollipop lips; ignoring the shameful look he was giving her.

"It is one of my creations, one of Road's programs. They obtained it in a battle not to long ago, one in which they all nearly died. If it had not been for the 14th, they would all be just another part of cyber history right now," The Earl grumbled after that, probably cursing the Exorcists luck and his unfortunate failure. Father nodded, as if that was as much of an explanation as he needed.

Lust shifted her weight towards Gluttony as he sat down on the floor. Casually she crossed her arms under her breasts, lifting them up in her normal flirting manner. She sat on Gluttony, and neither of them found it odd using another person for a seat. Behind her, Greed suddenly came forward.

"So what are we gonna do, pops? That Arc sounds like it could be pretty powerful. Imagine if we had that-" Greed was cut off with a sharp look from Father. The teen-heartthrob, rock star looking man stepped back to where he had been behind Lust, his eyes slitting closed once again. Father sighed after he finally stopped shifting, returning his gaze towards the Noah and the Earl.

"Is it something that would prove useful in your goal here, in Amestris?" Father sank back into the shadows that surrounded his throne, waiting for an answer from his new guests. He rested his head in his hand, leaning against the armrest of his chair. His eyes scanned over his family, watching as Lust sat atop Gluttony nonchalantly and Greed rambled to her from behind. Pride and Wrath were not here, playing the parts of the famous family they were assigned. Sloth was still in Briggs, as far as Father knew. His family was all in one piece, and they were all doing the jobs they were told quite nicely. He wondered how the Earl could handle someone like Road so calmly.

"Well, yes, but we can't exactly walk in an claim it back. We de-programmed it, made it so that only the self-destruct was in play. Allen managed to somehow override that, saving them all at the last second. Ever since then, only he knows how to operate it. He is the only one who can play the 14th's song," the Earl managed to say all of that with a straight face, or at least as much as his permanently grinning face allowed of it. On the inside, however, he was reeling with the memories of his failure.

"So, what you're saying is that they have an advantage at this point?" Father locked eyes with the smaller Earl, both of them sharing a silent gaze that none of their family members could hope to understand. Eventually, the Earl nodded, not sure how to respond to Father's demeanor. "Very well, Lust, Gluttony, go fetch the Elrics. Make sure that they are alive, they are still important,"

"Yo, pop! What about me?" Greed waved his hand to the man, shifting so that he came more into view of Father's gaze. Lust slapped his arm, standing from Gluttony so they both could straighten. Greed glared to her for a second before returning to Father.

"Very well, go with them. Should prove to be a fair show to watch," Father smiled as Greed leapt out of the door, Lust glaring to his back as the Eager Gluttony sped up to catch them. Lust cast one more look over her shoulder toward Tykki, catching him off guard as she winked back to him with a flip of her hair. Before he could respond, she was out with her brothers and walking calmly out of their little den.

"Now, watch how a true family operates, my dear Earl," Father sneered to the jealous man as he watched his children go. The Noah all gave a huff.

Author's Note: Yay! Some antagonists! Finally! :P Anyway, now you know that the group is officially on the Arc, not in some random cabin and floating around in space. XD

_**Also, if you couldn't catch it, I am setting up Lust and Tykki as a couple. Yay fluff! Haha, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy getting two chapters in one weekend. :D Read and review please!**_


	18. My Sore Loser

Chapter Eighteen – My Sore Loser

"Do you even want to win?" Kanda punched the boy again, the only deflection of the punch his metal arm. Ed whirled to the side, dodging the next bruising kick that was to come. He slapped his hands to the ground and succeeded in capturing on of Kanda's arms.

"Yeah, actually," Ed smiled as he captured the man's other arm, "just not your way."

On the sidelines, the others watched eagerly. Al was concentrating on Ed, watching as he used no circle. _How does he do that?_ Al also concentrated on Ed's moves, watching what worked and what didn't. As soon as Ed landed on the ground with Kanda pinning him there, Al interjected.

"Could I try?" All eyes watched his frail body as he moved towards Kanda. Ed got up but made no move to stop him. He smiled as he walked over to the others, knowing exactly how his brother's devious mind worked.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you, just cuz you're weak," Kanda grumbled, casting a reluctant look to Al. Al smiled and nodded, getting into a ready pose as Kanda did the same.

Kanda made the first move, kicking out to the boy as Al easily dodged. Al sidestepped behind Kanda, kicking the man's legs out from under him. Kanda fell to the ground with a sharp exhale, barely rolling over in time to dodge Al's attempted pin. Kanda got to his feet, a look of shock written clearly on his face.

"Go Al!" Ed called from the sidelines, looking smugly to Kanda. Al the others were shocked as well, knowing of no one who could get Kanda even almost-pinned.

"Ed!" Al shot his brother a disapproving look as he dodged another punch. Ed laughed but otherwise remained silent as he watched the fight.

As Kanda made to kick the boy's legs out from under him, Al jumped. He landed directly on the crouched man's back, grabbing an arm and pinning him to the ground. The whole room ran silent with shock. Al jumped up from Kanda, smiling happily.

"Look brother! I did it!" Al ran over to Ed who ruffled his little brother's hair playfully. Ed laughed and pulled the boy into a playful neck lock.

"I knew you could still fight like ya used to!" Ed laughed as Al commence to play-wrestle with him. The brothers stumbled back onto the fighting floor, laughing and congratulating each other playfully. All the Exorcists watched Kanda, waiting for the flames to start. Instead, he got up and calmly walked out of the room. Allen hesitated but ran after him after a short while. The others took that chance to congratulate Al.

"Wait to go, Kid!" Lavi ruffled the boys' long hair as Leenalee pulled him into a hug. Al laughed and looked up to them both, still smiling.

"Did I really fight like I used to, Brother?" Al looked to Ed with adoring, childish eyes. Ed smiled, nodding as he did.

"Yeah, totally. You kicked butt in armor, and you sure as hell kicked Kanda's ass just now," Ed pulled the boy from Leenalee to give him a hug of his own. Leenalee and Lavi laughed as they watched the siblings, happy to see that they seemed to be back to normal.

"Brother, we should go train," Al escaped from Ed's arms and started running, taunting the boy so he followed.

"Hey, wait! Get him to activate his Innocence!" Lavi shouted after them, following so Leenalee and he could keep an eye on them.

"He's an Alchemist, not an Exorcist!" Ed shouted back, though his tone was joking. As they raced through the streets of the Arc, they passed an arguing couple – Allen and Kanda. They all paid it no mind, used to seeing the two go at each other's throats.

* * *

><p>"Kanda, it's really no big deal to lose," Allen placed a hand on the mans' shoulder. Kanda made no move to stop the contact, but he did not look thrilled about it. Even if they had kissed.<p>

"To me, it is. Especially to a runt like him," Kanda sneered as he leaned against a white wall of the building. He crossed his arms over his chest, locking his hard, cold eyes with the widened silver ones of Allen. Allen huffed, refusing to let his stubborn attitude get to him.

"Everyone loses, Kanda," Allen took a step forward, nearly pressing himself against the other man's chest. Kanda rolled his head back, exposing his neck. Allen leaned in and gave a quick peck, causing the man to look back to him.

"Jut because you lose once doesn't change anything. You're still the kick ass samurai everyone is afraid of," Allen smiled at the last part, wishing that others had seen Kanda's defeat. Although he wished Kanda could take a loss better, it would still prove worth it had Komui seen. Not only would he joke with the ticked samurai, but he would see just how good Al was.

"Allen, you just don't get it," Kanda mumbled. Allen's puppy dog eyes started to stare up at him at the sound of his name, and that had Kanda's knees buckling. He could barely keep a straight face with Allen near him.

"What don't I understand, Yuu?" The shock of his real name had him locking eyes with the boy again in seconds.

"The last person who could put up a fight with me was… special. I guess the memories are just hard to relive," before Kanda could realize what just came out of his mouth, he realized he had just confided in Allen. And called him by name. What the hell was Moyashi doing to him?

"There's more to it than that. You loved that person, right?" Allen spoke, but the regretful tone suggested he hadn't wanted to ask. Allen was terrified that maybe he was just another game… Just another nobody to Kanda. Before giving it much more thought, Kanda had Allen pinned to the wall, their faces inches apart.

"Maybe I did, but he's dead now. You're here, and that's all that matters to me," Kanda stroked his thumb over Allen's cheek, a trail of blush following.

"So it was a him, huh?" Allen's tone was light and joking, but a tone of jealousy crept out anyway. Kanda chuckled darkly, leaning in and kissing Allen lightly. Allen reached up and wound his arms around the man's neck. When Kanda pulled away, Allen was left flustered.

"He was a nuisance, if that's what you're asking," Kanda cracked a smile at Allen, Allen blushing deeper. He buried his head into the samurai's neck, hugging him closer. Kanda hugged back, burying his head into the sweet-smelling white hair.

"You know you'll always be min, right Moyashi?" Kanda mumbled against the stifling hair, hugging the boy even tighter. Allen nuzzled further into the man's neck, knowing that the question held a deeper meaning.

"Of course, BaKanda," Allen smiled, "And you will always be my sore loser," Kanda bit Allen's ear playfully at his remark.

_**Author's Note: Okay, so this was written out in a journal instead of my usual "just sit down and wing it" style. When I write, I tend to lose some of my word count. Sorry for the short quality of the chapter, but I really hope that you liked it anyways.**_

_**As for Al beating Kanda… If any of you have an issue with that, I understand. Al is just a kid, and a kid who just got his body back at that. So, I understand if you have issues… But I really think that Al could beat him, and so that is just my personal opinion. **_

_**Read and Review, please! Thanks!**_


	19. Automail

Chapter Nineteen – Automail

"Maybe they left again," Greed growled towards Lust. She sighed, hitting him with a gloved hand. Gluttony trotted faithfully by her side, looking more like a pet than a human. Lust shot Greed a hateful glare as he pretended that her slap had hurt, acting as though her actions were emotionally damaging.

"They didn't. Father would have told us," Lust grumbled, rounding the white corner. They had been walking around the Arc, a white maze of buildings and streets their only sight for miles. They didn't even remember how or where they had managed to come in, and naturally wandering aimlessly for hours had everyone on edge.

"Father can't exactly reach us right now, sis," Greed sneered, sticking his face in her line of vision. She stopped in her tracks, swatting at him like he was a pesky flea. He dodged her first attempt at a smack, getting the point only when one of her nails had gone through his eye. As he left her line of sight, two golden haired boys came running over one of the hilly roads.

"Bet'cha I can beat ya now, Al," Ed called down the street. Spotting them, Lust locked her eyes on the boys. She signaled for Greed and Gluttony to leave her side. She wanted it to appear as though it was only her, to fool the naïve boys. They both obeyed, vanishing into a nearby alley.

"Hello, Fullmetal," She called, swaying her hips as she walked nearer. Both of them halted in their tracks, Ed placing Al behind him. As Lust realized that the boy had his body back, her steps faltered for a moment. She locked eyes with the smaller one, confusion knitting her brow together.

"Lust," The alchemist sneered. He transmuted his arm into a blade as two others appeared behind him. One was a redhead boy, an eye patch over one of his green eyes. By his side and laughing was a green haired girl, her beauty sending a pang of jealousy through Lust for a second. Lust never let her eyes leave Fullmetal, watching his brother behind him carefully.

"Ed, what're you-"

"She's a homunculus, be careful," Ed cut the redhead off, placing a hand to his chest to stop the boy from walking any further. One green eye flitted up to catch a glimpse of Lust, his jaw dropping to the floor before the girl smacked him. Startled, his eye fell back to her sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" Ed refocused on Lust, making sure that Al was behind him still. Lust smiled, signaling Gluttony and Greed to her side.

"Pops sent us to bring you back to our little den," Greed smiled, waving as he entered with Gluttony at his side. Edward stiffened at the others' appearances. Leenalee activated her boots and Lavi grabbed his hammer, all three of them circling around Al.

"Figures Father would know where to find us. You're working with the Noah, aren't you?" Ed took on a ready position, just as Kanda and Allen came up behind the homunculus.

"Moyashi, watch it!" Allen came to a halt as he was about to run into Gluttony. The boy whirled, startled both by the homunculus and Kanda's sudden shouting. Gluttony turned around, eyeing Allen hungrily.

"Eat? Eat?" Gluttony tugged on Lusts' dress, getting her to look over her bare shoulder at the Exorcists.

"Sure, go for it," she smiled as she shrugged the homunculus off. Allen activated his Innocence, dodging the blob homunculus. Greed lunged forward, going into combat with Ed. His ultimate shield activated, the shorter boy barely avoided a rid-crushing slash.

"Leenalee, look after Al!" Ed shouted as he jumped out of the way of Greed.

"Got it," Leenalee scooped up Al, jumping away from the fight to a nearby roof.

Kanda had managed to stab Gluttony by this point, getting Allen away from the hungry blob. Red sparks flew everywhere as Gluttony healed. Allen and Kanda lurched away, both thinking that it would cause them harm. Gluttony cackled thickly, locking eyes with them as he lunged in again.

"Runt! You forgot to mention they healed!" Kanda and Allen dodged another attack, barely able to shout the words. Lust had extended her nails, shooting towards Lavi. Lavi crouched, holding his hammer in front of himself for protection.

"Grow! Grow! Grow!" Lavi shouted, barely deflecting the nails as they made contact with his hammer. Lust snarled, jumping towards him and officially starting their combat. Chaos erupted everywhere as they all fought, not a one knowing where the other was. Ed was, by this point, dodging more attacks than he was making. Greed had the upper hand, both in strength and in height. Allen and Kanda were still figuring out their attacker, trying to find its' weaknesses. To them, it seemed there were none.

"You have to let me go down there, Leenalee!" Al tried to pass the girl, but she held him still with an iron grip.

"No. Ed told me to protect you, so that's what I am doing," She met his eyes fiercely, trying to get the boy to back down.

"I don't care! Let me help!" Al shouted at her, struggling against her grip. He succeeded in getting another step in before Ed was flung up onto the roof by Greed. Ed rolled out of the way right as Greed was ready to land on him, rolling over to his brother and Leenalee.

"You fight and you don't let anything lay a hand on you. You stay by his side, Leenalee," Ed panted out as he dodged another attack from Greed. Ed slapped his hands together and shot Greed back to the ground as they commenced combat again. Al smiled, lunging off of the roof and for Lust. He jumped on top of her, dodging as Lavi slammed his hammer down on top of her with his fire seal. As he pulled the object away, Leenalee slammed down on her with her red boots.

Lust pulled away, little more than muscle and bone. Red sparks flew as she moved out of their direct line of attack. She healed, growling towards them as her nails elongated and stabbed into Lavi's arm. Three nails mad contact, Lust giving another good yank. Lavi howled out in pain, falling to his knees as blood ran from the wound. All eyes flitted to him as combat ceased.

"Lavi!" Leenalee shouted his name, jumping atop Lust to stop her attack. The nails were yanked from his arm, muscle, skin, and blood flying everywhere as Lust fell to the ground. Lavi howled in pain again, outstretching his other hand to keep himself on his knees.

Al jumped in front of him then, shouting incoherently as another attack came towards them. Without another word, the spiraling shield activated. Tattoos covered every inch of Al's skin, his body emitting a glow as the shield deflected Lust's attack.

"Dammit! Fall back!" Greed shouted as Ed stabbed him through the chest. He ran from the small boy, yanking the pained and healing Lust with him. Gluttony crushed Kanda and Allen to the ground, then running after his siblings.

"Dammit," Lavi hissed as Al let his shield go. Lavi fell to the ground, clutching at his arm as blood seeped through his fingers. Leenalee was at his side in seconds, easing his head onto her lap so she had the right angle to look at his wound. Ed was at Al's side, checking him for any signs of damage or wounds.

"Why the hell are you so stubborn?" Ed scolded, running a hand over his brothers' head.

"Did you see that? Did you see what I just did?" Al looked to his arms, his hands, any part of skin he could find. The swirling tattoos had covered his body, glowing gold as the shield had been in front of him. Now, they were pulsing dully as the Innocence deactivated.

"Yeah, that was convenient, wasn't it?" Ed spoke, but his eyes had fallen back to Lavi. He was panting against the pain of the gouge in his arm as Leenalee held him still. She stroked his hair, whispering into his ear when he would grunt in pain. Ed walked over and looked at the wound gently. Three nails had gone straight through his arm, the gouges tearing through the muscle and bone. When Leenalee had jumped on Lust to get her away, this had no doubt been the cause of it running completely down from his shoulder to his elbow.

"This isn't good," Ed whispered. He ripped the sleeve off of Lavi's jacket, tying it tightly as Lavi gasped in pain. "Can you move it? Even in the slightest?" Ed asked, watching the redhead for a small sign. Lavi growled toward him, his one green eye flashing in pain.

"The hell do you think?" Lavi gasped again as he clutched to the sloppily bandaged wound. He hissed in a breath, his head rolling limply on Leenalee's lap.

"Kanda, Allen, go make sure that they left," Allen dragged Kanda away at Ed's orders. They vanished around the corner before Ed spoke again.

"We need to go back to Resembol. He needs an Auto-Mail," Ed spoke reluctantly, directing his statement more towards Leenalee than the pained Lavi. Lavi shook his head, grumbles the only thing escaping his mouth.

"When Allen comes back, we'll see what we can do," Leenalee whispered as she continued to run her hands through Lavi's silky red hair. Lavi finally fell into unconsciousness, his breathing slowing to a normal pace. Al moved to his brothers' side, whispering in his ear.

"Doesn't getting an Auto-Mail take years?" Al spoke so that only Ed could hear him. Ed dropped his gaze, nodding his only response.

_**Author's Note: Okay, so there are a billion things I have to say. First, sorry I lied and said I would have this up over the weekend. Second, I just re-read the story to make sure I was doing okay, and well…if you have a good memory, then you probably remember me mentioning that Lust and Envy were dead. Well, as you can see from this chapter, Lust isn't so dead. So, that little line in the earlier chapter has been fixed and now… well, no we're here. Hope you enjoyed, review please!**_


	20. Coming Home

Chapter Twenty – Coming Home

Den's barking yanked Winry from her work on her table, causing her to look towards the door. She got up, tying her tan jacket around her waist to expose her black tube top stained with Automail grease. She stepped towards the door, tugging her blonde ponytail tighter.

"Den! Den! It's me!" Al laughed as the dog tackled him to the ground and startled licking. Al put his arms up in defense, trying to save himself from a slobbery face. Even though they had Lavi to care for, it was nice to be home.

"Al? Ed?" Winry stopped on the porch, eying the odd scene before her with confusion. Ed was holding a redhead up while a dark green haired girl was on the other side. Behind them were two men, one white haired but surprisingly young and the other obviously Xingese, or of some other race. Al was tackled to the ground by den in his human body. His human body. Winry placed a hand to her mouth as tears brimmed in her eyes at the sight. Without knowing what she was doing, she flung herself to Al and laughed as he hugged her back.

"Hey, Winry," Al laughed as she helped him up, cupping his face with both of her hands.

"Al? How are you here? Not that it's a bad thing, this is great! How did this happen?" She pulled on his cheeks, noting how desperately thin he was, "Ed hasn't been feeding you enough, has he?" Winry whirled to Ed, seeing that he and the Xingese man had switched positions. She grabbed her wrench from her back pocket, chucking it at his head. "I thought I told you to take care of him?"

"Gah! Winry! Are you trying to kill me?" Ed growled as he fell to the ground from the impact of the wrench. Winry was getting ready to scold him when she saw the blood stain on his shirt. She gasped, moving closer and taking the fabric in her hands.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Winry then eyed the others in the group, "And who are they?"

"I'm fine, this wasn't from me. Lavi got hurt," Ed briefly gestured towards the redhead, "and he needs an automail. I was hoping that you could help us out," Ed explained, brief but to the point.

"Okay, but that still doesn't answer my question of who they are," Winry stated as they both stood. Allen walked up to her, sticking out his hand.

"I'm Allen Walker," Allen smiled, making Winry blush a bit. She smiled, taking his hand and shaking it slightly. "That grump over there is Kanda, and that's Leenalee," Kanda grumbled at Allen's comment, getting a cheery look from him. Leenalee wave with the arm that was not around the redhead – Lavi, was it? – and smiled a dazzling smile.

"Oh, well, I'm Winry. I'm these idiots mechanic, and that ones girlfriend," She smiled over to Ed as she said the last part, sticking out her tongue.

"Gee, thanks," He retorted. She laughed, reaching over to take both him and Al by the hands and lead them inside.

"Follow me and we can see what we can do for Lavi," Winry smiled over her shoulder as the others followed willingly. As they entered the house, Ed and Al made like they were going to help Lavi but Winry shoved them both down onto the couch. She told Allen to take a seat as well, then going into the other room and helping Kanda and Leenalee get Lavi set up.

"Boys? I thought it was you, midget," Pinako smiled as she entered the room wiping her hands on her greased apron. Ed stood, glaring her way.

"Minimum sized hag!" Ed retorted, anger in his voice. Pinako chuckled, her bun and pipe bobbing with the action.

"Shorty!"

"Flea!" Ed yelled again, stopping only when Pinako spotted Al. Her pipe nearly fell from her slack jaw as Al waved sheepishly from the couch. Pinako did a double take between the two boys, looking to Ed's limbs as if to check. Then, her glassed eyes landed back on Al, shock written all over her features. Her next sight was Allen, looking to the white haired boy and being obviously startled at his young appearance. Allen stared at Pinako and Ed as if their arguing was something new to him, though he did it all the time with Kanda.

"Granny, this is Allen Walker. He's one of the Exorcists we have been traveling with. The others were Kanda, Lavi, and Leenalee. Lavi recently had his arm injured, so we came here to get an automail," Al smiled even further as Pinako continued to study him. He stood as well, looking down to her then eagerly.

"Ed, you'll be needing maintenance as well, I assume?" Without waiting for his answer, and without even showing any reaction to there suddenly being 6 other people in her house, Pinako shoved Ed to the couch, grabbing both of his legs forcefully. She grumbled, yanking him off the couch again, watching as he leaned over nearly three inches. "Congrats, runt, you gained a few inches," Pinako shoved him back to the couch before he could make any comment to the short mention.

Ed gasped, locking eyes with her as she disconnected the nerves on his leg. The pain of the nerves was still a shock, but he grit his teeth and put on hit normal brave face. Al took his seat next to Allen again, the two boys starting up some small conversation. As they did, the brits' eyes kept flitting to Pinako and Ed, as if he was observing something new. Al laughed and eventually let all attempts at talking fall down the drain as Allen watched Ed.

"Is that how those work?" Allen moved to look at Ed's joint. Ed laughed at the childish expression Allen wore.

"Yeah, they connect the nerves to –" Ed yelped as Pinako put a replacement leg into place. "Dammit! Warn me!" Ed cursed at the nerve connection just as Kanda and Leenalee walked in. Leenalee stopped where she stood, watching as Pinako took Ed's metal leg to a table and set it down. She moved back to the boy, taking his arm off as well. Leenalee gasped as Ed jumped and turned his head away in pain, then spotting the scarred and metal infested joint of Ed's shoulder.

"Is that what Lavi will have to deal with?" Her eyes widened into complete horror as she stared at Ed. Before he could answer, Pinako clouded her line of sight.

"You must be Leenalee. I assure you, my grandson handled it well. This Lavi boy will no doubt be the same. There is not harm to them, once the joint is created. The only pain is the initial nerve joining. Watch," Pinako moved back to Ed, all eyes following her. She took the replacement arm and aligned it with the joint. Without another word to the boy or her audience, she joined the nerves.

Ed jumped, clenching his flesh fist into a tight ball and hissing through his teeth. His eyes shut in pain, his face scrunching in the slightest. "Dammit, I told you to warn me," Ed winced as he moved the new arm, testing it out.

"You call that 'the only pain'? Will Lavi be alright? What'll happen to him?" Leenalee stopped talking as Kanda placed his hand on her shoulders. His dark eyes met her brighter ones.

"He'll be fine, Leenalee," Kanda assured, Allen joining him to pull her into a hug. Ed stood, losing his balance at the discomfort of the replacement leg. He had meant to go reassure her as well, but when Al had to help him stand upright, he figured it was best to stay where he was.

"Leenalee, it's my fault he's hurt. I'll make sure he's fine," Ed met Leenalee's eyes over Allen's shoulder, his golden eyes burning with promise. He smiled as well, hoping that he really did reassure the girl. He didn't want her to be worried, but she had every right to be.

"E-Ed," Just as she was about to speak, Winry came around the corner. Her hands were stained with blood, a bit on her jacket as well. Her ponytail had become dislodged, now a knotted mess around her shoulders.

"Edward, he woke up. He's really confused and probably scared," Winry was not frightened, but it was evident that she was concerned. Kanda sighed, walking down the hall and into the other room with Ed and Winry at his heels.

"Kanda? What the hell is going on?" Lavi was struggling with his good side against the binds that held him to the operating bed. His hectic green eyes flitted to the calm Kanda, wanting answers. He was covered in sweat and he looked like hell.

"You want to die from blood loss? Stay still, Baka Usagi," Kanda growled, harsh eyes meeting Lavi's. Kanda shoved the boy back against the bed with one hand, the other on the hilt of his sword. Lavi stopped struggling with a concerned glance towards Mugen, then letting his eye flit to Ed.

"What happened to you?" Lavi asked, all emotion gone from his voice. A small smirk crept onto his lips at the sight of Ed and his mismatching limbs.

"Maintenance, Look, Lavi, if I didn't trust Winry with my life, I wouldn't have brought you here. Everything will be fine, so just relax," Ed smiled as well, catching the small smirk on the redheads lips. Ed rubbed his sore shoulder absently, trying to convince himself that his words were true. Leenalee and Allen then came running around the corner, followed by a flustered Al.

"Lavi! You're awake! Never scare me like that _ever_ again!" Leenalee threw herself onto the bed with Lavi, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Gah, Leenalee!" Lavi sounded exasperated as she pulled off of him sheepishly. The others left the room, Ed hobbling with Winry's help, as Leenalee started to ramble to Lavi. Leenalee sat on the edge of the bed, smiling to him as he tried to fall back into his painless sleep. She leaned in, whispering some words to him.

"Lavi Bookman, if you ever think about scaring me like that again, I will personally hurt you myself," She smiled to him, her pigtails dipping on either side of their heads. He smiled, leaning up to peck her gently on the lips.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Princess," He smiled as he pulled away, leaving her blushing a dark pink. She smiled again, flustered as she laid her head down on his chest.

"Go back to sleep, nerd," She laughed, trying to take his mind from the obvious pain. Back outside of the small room, all of the others were rather still as they occupied the living room. Pinako was sitting at her table with Ed's arm and leg in front of her. Ed and Al were by Winry's side; Winry still supporting the hobbling Ed. Allen and Kanda had taken to shooting each other glances that was probably their way of communicating somehow. No one paid them any min, Ed and Al used to their silent bickering.

"So, is Lavi going to be okay?" Allen finally asked aloud, moving an irritated step away from Kanda, though he still looked over to Kanda as if he expected the Xingese man to answer him. Kanda sighed, moving in to close the distance between them and wrap his arm around the boys' waist. By the look of triumph on Allen's face, it suggested he had just won the silent argument. Al moved to help Ed to the couch, but Winry interjected and both boys ended up being pushed onto the couch in a tangled heap. As Al untangled his legs from Ed, Winry pulled a stool up in front of the couch and placed her elbows on her knees as she sat. She looked to them both with serious blue eyes.

"You realize this is hopeless, right?" Ed and Al exchanged a glance, but before they could answer, she spoke again, "I don't know what's going on with you guys, but if you end up hurt… Look, all I want is for you to be happy. Al, you got your body back, so why don't you just stop and come home?" Winry's gaze flitted to Ed as she said the words. The longing in them spoke volumes between the couple, Ed realizing how truly horrible this relationship must be for her. But, without hesitation, Ed replied.

"I'm not going to endanger you. Right now, there are people who would pay to have me killed and people… things that would come themselves," Ed leaned forward on his knees, cupping her chin with his flesh hand, "I wont lose the only family I have. Not again."

Winry nodded, Ed locking eyes with her in such a way that had she been standing, her knees would have given out the instant the gaze met hers. Her big blue eyes tearing up, she pulled away from Ed to wipe the tears the eventually spilled over.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt again," Winry whispered. Al moved forwards, pulling her onto the couch between them. They both wrapped their arms around her, consuming her in a hug.

"Thanks, Winry," They both mumbled into her hair, burying her closer to them.

_**Author's Note: Okay, so I had this all written out in a journal of mine that has been eaten alive by this crossover, and now… this chapter is nothing like that. I cannot decide if that is a good thing, or if it means that I will just have to rewrite all of the other chapters I have in the journal. I have all the way to 26 written out. :P**_

_**Anyway, you know the drill, read and review please!**_


	21. Author's Note (Will be deleted)

I put this story down out of boredom, really. But, I just looked on this site and realized how many amazing readers' I have and I said to myself that I would continue it. Just I have no idea how.

I'm asking if any of you want me to continue this, if you would please message me with ideas. I need to figure out a way to fix the plot (because lord knows that was messed up to begin with) and I will be continuing it. I do, however, ask that you give me until December. November is a swamped month for me. As soon as November ends, start messaging me and I will do my best to correspond with you and get all your ideas straightened out and hopefully use some of them.

Thank you for being such wonderful readers, and for giving me all the 7,000-some odd reads that this story has. Please stick with me! It means the world to me!


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